Baptism
by Zetjintsu
Summary: In a desperate battle with the Fire Princess, it turns out Katara may be the more ruthless of the two, to both their horror. Neither is left quite the same. Hints of Azutara. Ursa plays a major role later. Reviews appreciated.
1. When Fighting Monsters

**Baptism**

By: Zetjintsu

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Note: I started writing and plotting Baptism before Avatar had finished airing. So while it started as speculative end/continuation story, it would now be AU finale.

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**Chapter 1  
When Fighting Monsters**

"Give it up Waterbender, you have nothing left to work with," smirked Azula as the last steam from Katara's flask wisped up to the ceiling, quickly being pulled out of the room by the dehumidifiers and fans the cunning Fire Princesses had prepared for this trap. Triumphant, Azula looked over her cornered prey as if they were toothless stray dogs at her mercy. "What an inferior form of bending that requires external materials," laughed Azula as she drew out her own internal chi, igniting it in threatening jets of blue flame.

"We're not finished yet," grimaced Suki defiantly, shooting Azula a hateful glance as she got back on her feet, warily eyeing the Imperial Guards that had them surrounded.

"That's right! If you think-" began Sokka, before Azula cut him off.

"Was I talking to you Suki dear?" said Azula with a dismissive wave of her hand, not even bothering to look at the Kyoshi warrior. "Don't flatter yourself that you or that pathetic excuse for a swordsman you call boyfriend were ever relevant to this battle. Guards, take them prisoners. If the male resists it's no loss to kill him, but if you can, take the earth girl alive. She's one of the most entertaining prisoners I've had the pleasure of breaking," gloated Azula, winking at Sokka.

Her taunts having the exact intended consequences. "Why you monster! We'll see who kills who," yelled the water tribe youth, charging Azula with his sword. The Imperial Guards instantly stepped in his way, letting loose a powerful blast of fire.

"Sokka!" cried out Suki as she tried to fight her way to his side, quickly finding her way blocked by Imperial Guards as well. To her relief, she saw Sokka emerge from behind his shield, only slightly singed. Two more guards were moving in to flank him however. Determined to go down fighting, she pulled out her fans and went into fighting stance. "You'll never take us alive Azula!"

"Have it you way," sighed Azula wistfully as Sokka and Suki began their desperate battles. "How about you bender? Are you going to throw your life away like your foolish brother?"

Katara watched the scene unfold before her with a sense of hopeless horror, conflicting emotions roiling inside her. She desperately didn't want her brother and friend killed, but without her water bending Katara felt powerless to turn the tide of this hopeless battle. She wanted to call out, beg Sokka to sheath his sword, but she knew he was to gone with pride and rage to listen. She understood only to well how he felt. For the sake of her own pride, Katara wanted to resume the battle beside her comrades, especially after seeing Suki's courageous determination to fight rather than meekly surrender. It made her feel like a coward for fearing the death that Azula seemed all to willing to deal upon those who resisted her. Swallowing her pride, Katara tried to make her way toward Sokka to quell his fury. "Sokka! Stop fighting! Even if we surrender now, Aang and the others can still defeat the Fire Lord!"

"Speaking of which, as much as I'd like to stay and play, I'm needed at the real battle. And with you out of the way, this time when I kill the Avatar, he'll stay dead," taunted Azula over her shoulder as she began to leave.

As she struggled to get past the guards between her and Sokka, an image of Aang's lifeless form flashed before Katara's eyes. His fragile body falling back to earth after Azula ruthlessly struck him down with her lightning. The smell of burnt flesh as she cradled his limp body in the crystal caverns underneath Ba Sing Se. The fear and sadness that she might never see his childlike smile again. Those memories that plagued her nightmares were suddenly dispelled by the smell of burning flesh in the present. Sokka screamed in pain as one of the guard's flames got past his defense, searing his leg. _Never again!_ Thought Katara darkly, rage overtaking her.

There has to be some way to get enough water to work with, thought Katara desperately. She remembered when she and Toph had been thrown in the wood cell, she'd worked up enough sweat to bend her way out. There wasn't time for that though, and it wouldn't be enough water to fight with. _"What an inferior form of bending that requires external materials."_! That was it! Living things contained not just the energy of fire, but the water of life as well. Hama had taught her that. Her blood bending worked by bending the water inside humans. There wasn't a full moon out, so she wouldn't have the power to pull off something as elegantly fine tuned as that forbidden art, something with more brute force however… without stopping to think, Katara reached down into the inky depths that were the vast ocean of her water bending talent.

In those dark depths she could feel her rage bubbling up, like the great Sea Serpents of old that Grandmother used to tell tales of. She let that rage coil through her blood, until all the water in her body was simmering with her bending energy. Once it reached the boiling over point she struck out with her energy, feeling for the water inside the two soldiers trying to restrain her. And then she felt it, her chi wrapping itself around the water inside the guards. "AZULA!"

Azula started with surprise as she heard Katara call her out with a soul piercing battle cry. Immediately it was followed by two blood curling screams. "What-!" exclaimed Azula as she spun around, only to get struck full force by a torrent of water. "Im-impossible!" sputtered a soaked Azula as she rolled back to her feet, narrowly avoiding Katara's follow up strike, which whipped around the room, throwing the rest of the Imperial Guard up against the walls. "Where did you get that wa- *urk* !" For once Azula found herself speechless as she saw the desiccated remains of her men, their shriveled hands reaching out as if to try and grasp back the life sustaining water that had been forcibly ripped from them.

"Fire's not the only element inside the body Azula," remarked Katara icily as she gathered the mass of water back to herself in a raging ring. Several of the Imperial Guard attempted to breach it with all the fire they could muster, but Katara's easily doused their attacks, and with a quick flourish of her hands stripped the water out of two more of the guards. A strangled scream escaped their parched lips, quickly being choked off into a wheezing rasp. "Nor apparently the most abundant," noted Katara as she added the still warm liquid to the raging river around her, which pulsed outward as it hungrily grew toward her foes. "I'll make sure you never harm anyone important to me ever again Azula!"

Now it was Azula's turn to watch in horror as her guard's shriveled remains collapsed to the floor. Involuntarily she found herself taking a step back as Katara advanced menacingly on her. _What kind of monster is she?!_ A few of her guards fled, screaming in terror at the horrific power Katara had unleashed. Azula made a note of who the cowards were so she could suitably punish them when this was all over. The majority of those still able to stand proved her judgment had been sound in choosing them, by moving between their Princess and the advancing blue clad angel of death. "Princess Azula! Please go to your Father's side! We'll hold her off as long as we can!"

Seeing her men's bravery, Azula quickly regained her regal composure. "Fools, you don't stand a chance against her! Your deaths will just make her water stronger! Get out of here while you can, only my bending is strong enough to resist hers!"

"But Princes-"

"GO!" Ordered Azula with finality as she leapt over her guards and unleashed a barrage of flame punches at Katara from the air and above her ring of water. Katara simply spread her water out into a globe, Azula's attacks turning into harmless steam as they struck against it.

_I need to finish this quickly before she can get hold of my water_, thought Azula as she landed, ducking as Katara's counterattack whipped overhead. "Tylee! She's open!"

Glancing behind her, Katara prepared to smite the traitor. Her opening created, Azula prepared to quickly strike. She wouldn't have time to generate lightning, but a well placed flame bolt would be enough to leave the water bender open. "Eye's front Katara!" shouted Sokka in warning.

Realizing too late she'd been tricked, Katara had no time to dodge as Azula fired off a narrow bolt above her ring of water. The water bender cried out in pain as the bolt struck her shoulder. Her ring of water collapsing with a great splash, Katara stumbled back and fell to the floor.

Azula charged in to take out the water bender before she could recover. Katara knew however that she could expect no respite from the ruthless Fire Princess and forced herself to ignore the pain and raise her head, locking her angry gaze upon her enemy. Azula's charge came to a full stop as she felt Katara's chi invade her body, seizing the water inside her.

Eyes narrowing, a slight smirk crossing her lips, Katara raised her good arm as she spread her bending energy along Azula's meridians, ready to force every last drop of water out in one quick attack. "Get her Katara!" cheered Sokka from the sidelines. Suki looked on more with apprehension however. She'd fantasized many a time of taking revenge against Azula, but was finding herself taken aback and slightly disturbed, on a gut level, by the sheer viciousness of Katara's power. Looking at the transfixed expressions of horror left on the faces of the nearby shriveled corpses, Suki wondered if they'd suffered before dying. To her surprise, she found her self feeling a little pity for Azula. _Let it end quickly._

It didn't. Katara's hand came to a stop and started shaking two thirds of the way up before she could complete her strike. _What's wrong?_ grunted Katara as she hit an unexpected block within Azula's energy pathways. Her main chi had been spiraling up the Sushumna nadis around Azula's spine, but something was wrong with the fourth chakra.

At first Katara thought it wasn't even there, she couldn't detect the slightest signature whirling or flowing of energy that was supposed to permeate all chakras. But no, it's gate was just closed so tightly as to be virtually undetectable. To take full control of the water inside Azula, she needed to also take full control of all of Azula's meridians. As a healer, Katara had often needed to open up congested energy pathways to help direct the bodies healing chi to the site of injury. She'd never come across anything like the blockage in Azula's heart chakra however. Still, she should be able to use the same principle to force it open so her chi could flow through and take over the rest of Azula's Sushumna channel.

Eyes locked with Katara, Azula gritted her teeth as she attempted to marshal her own chi against the foreign bending energy violating her very core. Expecting the battle to be entirely internal, the fire bender was caught off guard when Katara sprang forward, forcefully placing a watery palm over Azula's chest. The Fire Princess gasped as Katara rammed the bulk of her chi into the fourth charka. At first there was some resistant, but Katara pushed forward relentlessly. Azula broke out in a cold sweat. It felt like her heart was being pierced by a thousand shafts of light. And then all at once Katara broke through, leaving Azula feeling as if her heart had been torn open.

_Get out of me! _Azula acutely felt Katara's chi snaking it's way through the rest of her body. She knew it was only a matter of moments before that energy would shoot out every pore in her body, taking with it all her water. _I won't die so shamefully!_ Just as the energy of heat grew weaker the farther from the flame, surely a person's chi must get weaker the further it reached from the body. _Since our chi is fighting inside my body, that means mine is at it's strongest while hers is weaker! I'm the stronger!_

"GET OUT OF ME!" screamed Azula as she shoved the water bender away from her, also forcing Katara's bending out with her own indomitable will and prodigious bending talent. Katara fell again, stunned by the sheer force of Azula's will. It felt like she'd been mentally slapped all the way through to her soul. Uncharacteristically, the Fire Princess was in no shape to capitalize on her enemies vulnerability. "What… what did you do to me?!" panted Azula as she clutched at her still aching heart, trying to get it's breakneck erratic beat to slow.

Something felt very wrong to Azula. She tried to calm herself, to don her customary inner zen of emotional neutrality which allowed her to always be coolly in control. But that damn water witch had broken something inside of her. Instead of being able to kill these feelings of panic, fear, disgust, and bury them away, they kept flowing through her, growing more intense. Disoriented, it felt like the room was warping around her, or was it her insides warping around the room? _I think I'm going to be sick,_ thought Azula as she stumbled back, covering her mouth with her other hand as she tried to force down the nausea welling up in her and control the hyperventilation taking over her lungs.

She failed miserably, her breathing becoming more shallow and frantic. Azula's insides felt feverish, but she was shivering from the cold sweat which had drenched her entire body. Collapsing to all fours, Azula vomited water, trying to expel the lingering feeling of Katara's energy contaminating her. Perhaps it was a trick of her fevered brain, but Azula swore she could taste Katara in the water in her mouth. Vomiting water again in revulsion, the Fire Princesses tear ducts involuntary opened up as her body's purge reaction went into overdrive "Get it out!" ordered Azula, trying to keep it from sounding like a plea.

Azula wasn't the only one feeling off kilter by the lingering feeling of a rivals chi. Blinking, Katara tried to clear the after image left by Azula's Will when it had slapped her out of her battle rage. She was disturbed at the image of herself as she'd appeared from the Fire Princesses eyes, as a monstrous violator and killer. _What am I, I mean what is she thinking?! She's the monster! _Yet Katara couldn't deny the feelings and sensations she'd seen reflected in Azula's soul, the stark terror the normally unshakable Fire Princess had felt staring down the horrific death Katara herself had tried to inflict. _D-does it really feel that awful to have someone try and bend your insides out?_ thought Katara as she looked at the desiccated guards she'd slain, starting to feel a little queasy.

And yet for all that fear and pain she'd felt, Azula's determination had been even stronger still. Katara couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and grudging admiration at the glimpse she'd caught of Azula's soul when their chi clashed; how truly strong was the proud fiery confidence at her core that had refused be extinguished by Katara's onslaught of her very being. To her surprise, Katara found her self asking, "Ar-are you all right Azula?" as she reached out toward the tear streaked fire bender.

"Do I look blazing all right?!" snarled Azula as she slapped away Katara's hand. Azula was starting to feel a little better however, as evidenced by her quickly scrambling away from her nemesis. "You should have finished me off when you had the chance Water Witch," stated Azula as she backed toward the exit warily, not taking her eyes off Katara.

"You're not getting away that easily!" yelled Suki as she drew her blade and headed off the weakened Fire Princess escape route.

"Suki wait-"

Seeing Azula stumble as another dizzy spell apparently gripped her, the Kyoshi Warrior put everything into one thrust. Having fooled Suki into over committing to her strike, Azula stepped around the sword thrust and in low toward Suki. Using the Kyoshi Warrior's own momentum against her, Azula grabbed Suki and tossed her into a wall across the room. "Even at a fraction of my strength, you're still no match for me Suki dear."

Suddenly the sound of distant explosion went off, and the whole palace began to shake. Azula looked off into the distance, her face a mixture of annoyance and concern. "Water Witch, we'll settle the score soon at the final battle, which by the sound of things has already begun. If you intend to protect the Avatar, don't be late." Azula took one last backward glance at her rival, then took off for her Father's throne room.

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Geeky A/N: Udine's Harvest, XUB. Instant. Bury target creature with converted mana cost of X. You may put a +1/+1 counter on Katara the Water Witch. "_Fire's not the only element in the body Azula. Nor apparently the most abundant." _


	2. An Unfortunate Disagreement

**Baptism**

By: Zetjintsu

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Note: This chapter was originally written after the Boiling Rock episodes. Also, I do not own Avatar; it is the creation and property of Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

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Chapter 2

An Unfortunate Disagreement

_Why'd it have to end up like this?_ Thought Ty Lee as she dashed through the ruins of the palace, leaping over ruble and rolling under broken columns. It seemed only yesterday that she, Azula, Mai, and an often unwillingly recruited Zuko had played together in the now burnt out palace garden. _We we're supposed to be friends for ever. _So why did everyone have to be trying to kill each other?

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"Are you sure Iroh and the others are doing the right thing Mai? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm thankful that they rescued us all and all, but isn't this, kinda, like treason? That thing they can execute people for? I know Zuko claims its for the good of the Fire Nation, but does that really justify armed rebellion and killing our own-"

"Ty Lee, you've been arguing back and forth the whole trip to the capital. And you know what? I could care less about what's right or wrong. So why don't you do us both a favor and shut up."

"W-what? How can you say that Mai? Lives are hanging in the balance on what gets decided today. Think about the bad karma we could incur if we make the wrong choice. I don't want to spend my next hundred lives as a starving earth peasant because I was responsible for helping ignite a civil war that killed thousands and destroyed my country. I mean, I wouldn't even be able to afford make up or decent-"

"You're right, Ty Lee. People are going to die today. And I'm fighting to make sure Zuko isn't one of them. That's all the reason I need," said Mai with determination as she opened up her weapon case. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready for the battle."

"There's got to be some alternative to fighting Mai! What if the Fire Nation gave the Avatar the air temple islands in exchange for him acknowledging the status quo of the Empire? If Zuko can't get along with his Father then the two of you could seek asylum in the Avatar's territory. When I visit we could have a lot of fun redecorating those dreary old rui-" whoomph Undressing, Mai tossed her robe in Ty Lee's face, figuring it would muffle her babbling for at least a moment.

"The Avatar has a twelve year olds naïve sense of justice; he can't be bought off or compromise," stated Mai as she stripped down to her black satin undergarments. "sigh If you're not going to give me any privacy you can at least make yourself useful and load that torso bandolier's loops over there with throwing spikes; I'm going to need all the extra ammunition I can get," explained Mai as she placed her leg up on the bed so she could easily strap on a thigh bandolier. Pulling it snug, she then began to load up it's loops and pockets with stilettos, kunai, shurikens, throwing knives, and various other throwing weapons.

"Wow, that's really sexy Mai," observed Ty Lee with a whistle as she armed the torso bandolier on the bed, "Like La Femme Fatale. You should totally have Zuko be the one helping you get battle ready," Ty Lee suggested with a sly wink, "I bet it'd brighten up that dark aura that's been hanging around him, remind him what he's got to live for. Let me get him for you."

"C-could you stop being an idiot for at least ten seconds!" exclaimed a flustered Mai as she switched her legs up on the bed and turned away so the annoying acrobat wouldn't see her blushing and tease her more. Trying to cover her embarrassment, Mai quickly retorted with her usual sarcastic deadpan, "Yeah, I'm sure Zuko would find it _real_ sexy realizing that under my clothes I'm covered with sharp pointy bits of metal."

"I imagine that'd be one of the last things he'd noticed," teased Ty Lee as she looked her friend over, admiring her flawless figure. "In all the great romances a couple spends a tender yet passionate night together before going off to battle you know."

"If you're so set on setting up a romantic rendezvous, why don't leave me alone and go pester that water tribe dork," suggested Mai as she retrieved her robe and started loading the pockets hidden throughout it.

"Yeah, about that," mumbled Ty Lee dejectedly, "turns out he's already got a girlfriend, and she's like a total bitch."

"Either that, or she just dislikes you specifically. Maybe that whole trying to steal her boyfriend thing. I'm personally surprised she hasn't tried to kill you yet," declared Mai as she pulled out a vial. Holding it before her, she hesitated, it's green light wavering over her eye for a moment, before she determinedly placed it next to her few remaining weapons.

"It's not really stealing if I'm willing to share, right? And then do you know what that bitch had the nerve to say after I try and make nice… Wait! I can't be letting you change the conversation and distracting me with romance…"

_"__you're the one who brought it up and distracted yourself…"_

"…while there's still time to reconsider what we're doing. Think about your uncle and my dad. You know how dedicated they are to the military. Do you honestly think that they'd accept an order to throw away our victory over the Earth Kingdom?"

"Your jumping to conclusions Ty Lee. No one's said anything about breaking up the Empire. We're just ousting an usurper and putting the rightful ruler on the throne," said Mai unconvincingly, pausing in her preparations.

"Open your third eye Mai! The Avatar invaded the Fire Nation before Zuko and Iroh joined forces with him, so his motives back then couldn't have been putting Iroh on the throne! You know as well as I do that he wants to restore the world to how it was before the war broke out and make the Fire Nation give up it's hard won Earth Kingdom conquests. Just imagine how well that will go over with the army and colonists. 'Sorry guys, we know you're all ecstatic about having taken the Earth Kingdom capital and having won the war after one hundred years of hard fighting and sacrifices by your comrades and ancestors, but you've got to hand it back because some twelve year old bald monk-kid who killed your Lord says so.'"

"Ty Lee-"

"We were there when it happened Mai! Sure, Azula deserves the credit, but we assisted her single handedly taking the impenetrable capital Ba Sing Se and winning the war. Don't tell me you didn't feel any exhilaration when we brought the Great Walls down and our tanks rolled in. Didn't you feel any pride in what we accomplished that day, or are so emotionally empty that it didn't mean a thing to you? Is that why you can throw it away so easily?!"

"Like Azula threw us away?" replied Mai coldly, as she removed the stopper from the green vial. "You seem to be forgetting that you're on her shit list too. She's been getting more ruthless and unhinged as support for Iroh's claim to the throne has grown. As long as she's in power neither you, me, or Zuko are safe."

"We could at least try talking to her Mai! Deep down I'm sure she wants to forgive her friends and brother."

"Are we talking about the same Azula?" asked Mai as Ty Lee helped her put on her torso bandolier, running it from her left shoulder, between her breasts, and then looping it around her right hip. "The one who last time we met was going to let Zuko drop into a boiling lake, tried to kill me, and left us to rot in jail?"

"She was doing her duty as Princess of the Fire Nation. I admit trying to kill you was a little overboard, but you did push her buttons."

"I've wanted to tell that spoiled brat for a long time that she isn't as perfect as she likes to think she is," said Mai, a rare smile crossing her lips. "We've known her since we we're kids, and she's always been a sadistic monster who can't stand not having things her way. You should know best of all how cruel she can be Ty Lee," reminded Mai as she held up her arms so Ty Lee could attach her spring loaded holsters. "Remember all the times she'd pick on you for being more agile or popular with the boys? Or how she put you're life in danger until you agreed to leave the circus and help her hunt down Zuko? Azula only cares about herself, you'd be a fool to expect mercy from a heartless bitch like her."

"That's not true!" protested Ty Lee, "Okay, Azula can enjoy being cruel when it strikes her and she's not a naturally empathic person, but she can care for others! She adores her father, in her own twisted way she has a soft spot for Zuzu and tried to look out for him, and I know she cares for me! The last time she said some horrible things to me and made me cry she actually regretted it and quickly comforted me! If she was really as heartless as you say would she have gave a damn about my feelings?! You're just trying to demonize her so you can justify-! …Mai, what's that vial?" asked Ty Lee, a slight tremble creeping into her voice as she pointed to the green liquid Mai was dipping her last throwing spikes in.

Mai sighed as she looked down at her childhood friend. Ty Lee's idiocy made it easy to forget how sharp she really was. "…Ty Lee, you're too innocent. If you have misgivings no one will think less of you for not joining the battle. For your own good you should leave the capital. Go rejoin the circus."

"…Mai, you can't be intending to…" gasped Ty Lee as she staggered back.

"What do you think Azula intends to do to me and Zu… HEY! LET GO TY LEE!"

"I won't let you do it Mai!" declared Ty Lee as she grabbed the vial in one hand and went for the two already dipped spikes with her other, attempting to wrest them all out of Mai's grasp.

"Let. Go. Ty Lee." Ordered Mai as she locked her golden eyes with the acrobat. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect Zuko," threatened Mai as she tried to shake off the smaller girl. Ty Lee however had a tenaciousness that belied her size. Redoubling her efforts, Mai warned, "If you side with Azula, I'll be forced to… gasp" Ty Lee had found a wrist pressure point. Mai's hand went slack and she dropped the throwing spikes. Both girls froze as one of the spikes clattered to the floor. Slowly, they both looked down, Mai in shock and Ty Lee in horror. The second spike had landed on Mai's foot, piercing it. "Oh shit…" whispered Mai in disbelief as her other hand dropped the vial. It shattered against the floor, scattering glass coated in it sinister contents.

"No… I didn't mean to…" whispered Ty Lee, her hands going up to her face in disbelief. "Great Agni… I'm so sorry Mai…" Ty Lee apologized, her eyes starting to tear up. Mai gave out an ironic chuckle, then collapsed against the bed. "SOMEBODY, ANYBODY! MAI NEEDS HELP!" yelled Ty Lee as she looked around in desperate panic.

End Chapter 2


	3. Whom the Traitor?

**Chapter 3**

**Who's the Traitor?**

Ty Lee's focus was brought back as Mai tugged an her pant leg. "Put… a tourniquet… behind the knee… and groin…"

"R-right!" said Ty Lee as she used one of Mai's kunai to quickly rip two strips off the bed sheet and tied them as tightly as she could to cut off the circulation from Mai's leg.

Just then, Zuko burst into the room. "What's going on in here!" he demanded.

"…um…I…i mean Mai…that is…i didn't mean…" sputtered Ty Lee guiltily, her arms flailing about as if to try and pull some innocent explanation for this grim tableau out of thin air.

"Mai!" gasped Zuko as he saw his collapsed and bandaged girlfriend. "What happened to her Ty Lee!" growled the Fire Prince as he started to rush to Mai's side.

"WAIT!" commanded Ty Lee as she held up her hand in warning, then pointed it toward the shards of glistening glass, the thought of even more victims spurring her to coherence. "Watch out for that glass! It… it might be poisoned!" she warned, quickly backing away from Mai and Zuko. With the corner of one eye she glanced toward the door that was the only exit from the room.

"Poisoned?!" exclaimed Zuko as he made his way to Mai's side. His concern was now enough that he was barely distracted by his girlfriends state of undress, instead quickly zeroing in on the spike impaling her foot. With Zuko focused on Mai, Ty Lee began slowly backing toward the exit.

His eyes narrowing in suspicion, Zuko spun around, catching Ty Lee with his glare, causing her to gulp. "How'd this happen Ty Lee? And why are you trying to sneak out?"

"I, was uh, just going to get help. It was an accident Zuko! Honestly, she dropped the spike on herself!"

"Liar!" accused Zuko as he stood up, a jet of flame arcing out angrily half way toward Ty Lee. "Mai would never be that clumsy! She may have said back at the airbase that we could depend on you, but I know you two have been arguing since then. You did this to her, didn't you?!"

"I didn't mean to! …oops" Ty Lee immediately covered her mouth as she realized she kinda just accidentally confessed.

"Traitor!" roared Zuko, the flames around him flaring up. Ty Lee cringed before the Fire Prince's barely contained fury. This was bad. Zuko wasn't being fair at all. I mean, hanging out with the Gaang had been a lot of fun and all (they certainly were a lot less strict than Azula), but she'd never said she'd started playing for the other team. She'd only helped them attack the air base just in case… Ty Lee halted that train of thought, not wanting to believe it. It wasn't till they'd started heading toward the capital with an army and Aang started having issues about killing the Fire Lord that reality had rather rudely broken through Ty Lee's happy shiny world where she was getting to make lots of interesting new friends and everything was hunky dory.

If anyone was a traitor it was the Fire Prince and Mai. No, it wasn't Mai's fault; Ty Lee couldn't blame her for following her heart. None of this would have happened if Zuko hadn't forced Mai to betray Azula. And why wouldn't he listen to her that it had been an accident? Panicking, Ty Lee bolted for the exit.

Running straight into Suki. Ty Lee bounced off the fully battle dressed leader of the Kyoshi warriors, falling back toward Zuko and barely missing the shattered glass. "You may have fooled my girls, but _I knew _we couldn't trust you," declared Suki with contempt as she looked down on her past and once again present enemy. Blocking the doorway, Suki pulled out her sword, wanting the weapon that would put the most distance between her and Ty Lee's debilitating pressure point strikes.

"Unfair sniff… you're both so unfair…" whispered Ty Lee as she crawled back onto her knees. "I didn't want any of this to happen." Why was the universe and everybody being so mean to her? Covering her face in her hands, Ty Lee started to sob.

Zuko paused awkwardly in his advance, momentarily caught off guard by Ty Lee's tears. "Would you spare us the melodrama Ty Lee," said Suki in exasperation as she lowered her sword slightly, "you could at least surrender with some dignity."

"Who said anything about surrendering?" warned Ty Lee as she parted her fingers, revealing the bitter smirk behind her hands. Leaping off her hands and into action, she caught both Zuko and Suki flat footed.

"She was faking?" gasped Suki as she swung her sword, but she was to late to stop the acrobat from getting airborne. Spinning a whole rotation in the air, Ty Lee's hands struck down on top of Suki's shoulders, paralyzing them as Ty Lee squeezed the pressure points. By the time Zuko was ready to let loose a fireblast, Ty Lee had already flipped back to her feet behind Suki, providing her cover.

"No, I'm always honest about my feelings," whispered Ty Lee bitterly into Suki's ear. She then shoved Suki forward, toward a charging Zuko… and the shattered glass. Without pausing to see her rivals fate, Tylee bolted for the stairs. Before she could reach them Zuko rushed out into the hallway, determined not to let the acrobat slip away again.

"Halt!" ordered the Fire Prince in warning. Ty Lee ignored him. Focusing all of his anger into a small area of his palm, and then expanding it all at once with a sharp exhalation, Zuko unleashed a cone of flame, which widened out to fill the whole cramped hallway as it sped toward Ty Lee. This time she had no cover, and no room to dodge. So Ty Lee dove through a window.

Arms crossed in front of her face, Ty Lee only got a few cuts as she broke through the glass. Unfortunately for her, the building that bordered the other side of the alleyway did considerably more damage when she lowered her arms just in time to see and smack face first into it. Stunned, the acrobat fell two stories, landing in the trash that the hole-in-the-wall inn carelessly dumped into the alleyway.

"Oh, gross," moaned Ty Lee as she brushed herself off and regained her bearings. To her surprise, Zuko hadn't shown up yet. At least something was finally going her way thought the fugitive as she ran off into the night.

Still, she grimaced at the thought of what Zuko was going to tell the others. That she was a traitor who'd killed Mai. Darting into another alleyway, Ty Lee paused to catch her breath. They were all probably going to feel betrayed and hate her now. The Kyoshi warriors whom she'd befriended in prison. Katara, her former rival who'd been wary of her at first, but had started to warm up to her when they'd fought together at the airbase. Sokka, with all his awful jokes and who'd got so cute and flustered whenever she'd flirt with him. All those potential friendships, surely being destroyed this moment by Zuko's slander. Starting to tear up, Ty Lee couldn't bear the thought of it, and started back toward the inn to defend herself.

_No. What am I thinking?_ Thought Ty Lee as she stopped in her tracks. _They'll never listen to me over Zuko. He may be jumping to conclusions, but it doesn't change that he's right about the most important thing; it's my fault what happened to Mai. p__leasedon'tletherbedead pleasedon'tletherbedead. __It's unforgivable. But what do I do now? I just want to curl up in a ball and cry! _

Ty Lee knew she had to keep moving though, wandering aimlessly through the capital, her last argument and it's tragic consequences playing over and over in her head. _"You're too innocent. If you have misgivings no one will think less of you for not joining the battle. For your own good you should leave the capital. Go rejoin the circus."_

_"We could at least try talking to her Mai! Deep down I'm sure she wants to forgive her friends and brother."_

_"You seem to be forgetting that you're on her shit list too. She's been getting more ruthless and unhinged_… _you'd be a fool to expect mercy from a heartless bitch like her._"

"I'm sorry Mai," apologized Ty Lee as she looked up toward the caldera where the Royal Palace sat. "I know you were trying to look out for me, but I'm going to be a fool again. I guess I don't really have many, or maybe even any, friends left. But I can't stand by while another one of my closest friends is in danger."

_Azula may be getting more dangerous and unhinged, but that's my fault too. It must have hurt so bad when I turned on her to protect Mai. She's all alone now, just like me; everyone's betrayed and abandoned her. That's why she needs a friend at her side more than ever!_ Her resolve regained, and ignoring the little voice in the back of her head whispering that Azula was quite likely to try and kill rather than forgive, Ty Lee took off toward the Royal Palace, hoping she'd be in time to… well, she wasn't really sure what she was hoping for, just that she was hoping, and hopefully that would be enough.

* * *

Boring Author Notes: This chapter benefited immensely from revising, so I'm glad I didn't try and rush it out. I think, at least for now, that I'm going to try and pace myself at a chapter every other week. RL leaves me with only marginal time for writing practice like this, though I've been pretty good about making daily progress, because I want to get better at writing, and you need consistent practice if you're serious about improving.

Now that Ty Lee's interlude is done, the action will shift back to Azula and Katara in Chapter 4: Showdown's Stage. I hope you look forward to it, and thanks for reading. Reviews and constructive critique's are much appreciated.


	4. Showdown's Stage

**Chapter 4**

**Showdown's Stage**

Panting with exhilaration, Azula had never felt so alive. Surely the world had never witnessed a gathering of such awesome bending might all fighting at once! Thanks to training with the Avatar, even Zuzu had transformed into a worthy foe. To bad the traitor was going to have to die. Azula shivered in delight, anticipating the invigorating thrill which had accompanied her recent first kill.

"Nice try Water Witch," laughed Azula as she weaved around her current foes attacks, "but we've fought enough now that I know how to beat your pretty style. You can't win," predicted Azula confidently as she sent a narrow arc of flame back at her foe. The Fire Princess was used to training against other fire benders. Fire was direct and aggressive, traveling in a straight path. But Azula had come to realize water benders didn't fight that way. Instead of meeting Azula head on, Katara would flow around her attacks, counterattacking at curved angles Azula wasn't used to. It had been infuriating at first, but Azula was starting to appreciate it's fluid beauty now that she could work with and anticipate it's rhythm.

Azula would force the slightly smaller girl into hand to hand combat, in which she seemed inexperienced. The fluid mass of water was what allowed Katara to curve her attacks, but that same advantage would become a weakness at point blank. Having mass, Katara needed space for her attacks to reach their full momentum and force. Fire on the other hand derived it's power not from impact mass but from heat. Heat dissipated with distance, so the opposite would be true of Azula's attacks; they would be strongest at point blank. The Fire Princess smirked at her own cunning genius. Figuring out how to turn her rival's strength into a weakness. Now if that little brat would stop sliding away on those damn ice ramps whenever she tried to close in! "You can't avoid facing me forever Witch!"

Whirling around to track Katara's movements, Azula dodged a flaming plank of wood falling from the ceiling. The Fire Princess noted that the arena they'd created to provide ample fuel and neutralize other bending wasn't holding up so well. First, there was the whole highly flammable issue. Also, a pissed off Toph had tunneled under and started punching through the thick floorboards, turning the huge chamber into an uneven mess with rocky formations jutting out everywhere. While that damn gopher-bull had been avoiding the main chamber because of all the blind spots, she had managed to locate an underground river and redirected it here for the Witch and Avatar's benefit, further complicating the terrain. Another chunk of ceiling came down, this time accompanied by falling rock, testament to just how much structural damage the Dragon Bone Catacombs had sustained.

As long as those damn outcroppings were here, they might as well make use of them. "Get the agents that are left to bend the rock formations into pillars before this ceilings collapses on us all," ordered Azula to her Dai Li captain. "I want you and the vice-captain to try and trap the earth girl down below or force her up here with the lava we're redirecting. Don't let the it overflow yet though, that's our last resort."

Resuming her pursuit of Katara, Azula observed the epic battle raging around her. The smoke from all the burning wood was making it increasingly harder for Azula to keep track of everything. Not being able to tell anymore if they were winning was frustrating. In one corner, a boomerang zoomed out from behind a pillar, striking an Imperial Guard upside the head. Stunned, he wasn't ready to defend himself when Suki leapt at him from atop a rocky outcropping, cutting him down with her fans. A pathetic hunting down of weak stragglers, but Azula was going to have to watch the Witch's brother more carefully, his tactical use of the terrain suggested a sharp strategic mind.

The Fire Princess didn't see Zuzu anywhere. Maybe someone had gotten him to safety while she had been distracted by Katara. No matter. Even if he somehow escaped he was no threat to the Empire. That fool Iroh was dead, and with him any claims against Father's throne. The attempted coup had never had any broad support, and once the Avatar was defeated the rebel movement would fall apart. Wait, over there, wasn't that… Azula rubbed her eyes, but the distant figure had already disappeared into the smoke. It couldn't be _her_ could it? She was supposed to stay at the safe house until things had settled down and they could ascertain where her loyalty lay…

Azula's face lit up as she caught site of her Father, more than holding his own against the Avatar. She had to admit that he was using all four of the elements with skillful creativity, but Aang was hard pressed to match the Fire Lord's sheer power and polished mastery. It was to bad royal dignity didn't allow him to take off his shirt more often thought Azula admiringly; his muscular physique was truly a magnificent sight to behold. For the statue commemorating his victory over the Avatar she'd have to convince him authenticity demand he make an exception to tradition and pose topless. They would have to build a second one in the earth kingdom as well. Show those lowly rebelling earth worms that all hope of opposing such a grand Leader and his glorious Nation were futile; look upon our works, and despair!

Heady with visions of triumph, Azula cornered her prey. "You were so aggressive when we fought earlier Water Witch, why so timid now?" taunted the Fire Princess as she cut off Katara's route with a wall of flame. "You know, you could have saved that badger-bull a lot of trouble and bent all the water you and the Avatar needed out of my men again."

"I'm not like you Azula!" protested Katara.

"Too true," sighed Azula wistfully, "you've personally killed more people than I have, and so much more cruelly. I've got a long way to go before I can match your brutality Witch. Did you know the body doesn't die immediately when the water's pulled out of it?" smirked Azula, not knowing or caring if her speculation was true, but intending to twist the knife for all it was worth. "It's the dried out blood being unable to get air to the brain that finally kills, but until your victims suffocate they suffer horribly while every parched cell in their body screams for a moisture the blood can't bring. "_Water, we need water, we're slowly dying here without water,"_" mocked Azula. "It's okay, you can laugh Witch. It's a joke. It's funny."

"They were your men, weren't they?! How can you mock them like that?! It's not a joke when people die Azula! I'm not twisted like you. I don't enjoy killing!" shouted Katara angrily.

"Sure you did," shot back Azula. "It didn't bother you one bit at the time. You desiccated those two guards as casually as one swats a mosquito. And don't think I didn't see that look on your face when you tried to force the water out of me. You were getting such a rush weren't you? Such a thrill out of the new level of power you'd discovered. Admit it, in the dark corner of your heart you enjoyed the sense of superiority you got as you held my life in your merciless hand. Don't ever forget that we touched souls when you chi raped me; you can't hide your dark secrets from me."

"I-it's a lie," whispered Katara, ashamed.

"Oh come on Witch. It's not like it's the first time you've thoughtlessly killed. Perhaps you've heard of the "Painted Lady?" The patron spirit of a little back water fishing village, she supposedly healed the sick and fought off the garrisoned soldiers with water bending. Now who does that remind me of?" said Azula as she slyly winked at Katara. "That's not all she did however. She also blew up an arms factory. Did you know there were still people in there at the time?"

"…I-I thought it was empty at night. And besides, the army was oppressing those villagers horribly!"

"Hahaha! So they had it coming right? That's more like it. Though it wasn't vile army men killed you know," revealed the Fire Princess as she examined her nails. "It was engineers doing maintenance, sharp people like your brother you know. But what difference should that make to the self-righteous Katara," laughed Azula as her rival looked away guiltily. "After all, if their lives had really mattered, you would have scouted out the facility first to make sure it was truly deserted. A part of you must have known that there could have been people in there, but you'd already decided it didn't matter, they deserved to die anyway!"

"…"

"There's no need to feel ashamed dear. The key to power is establishing your superiority to others. The greatest demonstration of superiority over another is your ability and willingness to easily kill them. How do you think I was able to make the Dai Li betray their kingdom and submit before me? And that's why the Avatar can't win, he doesn't believe in his righteousness enough to kill for it. You though Katara, if you were to embrace it, you have what it takes to wield that domineering power. It's grand isn't it," whispered Azula seductively, a dangerous wild look in her eyes as she held out a hand toward Katara. "The sense of superiority that lets you kill without a second thought, that invigorating rush as you achieve the ultimate vindication of that superiority by extinguishing an enemies life!" finished Azula as she clenched her fist.

"Enough!" shouted Katara as she gathered up a huge wave of water. "Both me and Aang will prove we're not monsters like you and your father; we'll win, and we'll win our way!"

Azula smirked as the wave of water crashed in toward her. All to easy. _Your bending talent may rival mine Witch, but bending the emotions of your heart is childsplay. Your defeat is ordained.

* * *

_Next Chapter: The Fog of War

Notes: You'd think Azula would be genre savvy enough to not allude to Shelly:)

Sorry for sitting on the slow update. I'm a bit of an obsessive perfectionist, so I feel obliged to try and do a thorough once over for revisions before posting, but I don't enjoy the prospect of revision/editing much, so it tends to get put off.

A lot of the detials of what's happened are currently vague. This is delibrate, though there are enough hints to try and read between the lines.


	5. The Fog of War

**Chapter 5**

**The Fog of War**

Katara didn't want to let the Fire Princess get under her skin like this. She tried to tell herself that Azula was a shameless liar; that she'd make up the most horrible stories just for the fun of watching her enemy suffer. _It's all lies. There were no engineers. They died instantly. It wasn't rape._ So there was no reason to listen to her and feel guilty. Wait, but wasn't that what Azula wanted as well? To drag Katara down to her level, where she didn't care whether she may have killed and made people suffer? If she were to let go of her guilt wouldn't that bring her one step closer to becoming like the remorseless Fire Princess?

And then there was the nagging whisper in the back of Katara's mind; that even if Azula was unfairly distorting what happened, there was still some underlying truth to the shadowy reflection cast by her twisted words. As much as Katara wanted to disown that warped reflection of herself, ultimately Azula was right; she was more guilty than the fire bender of thoughtless cruel slaughter. And she had far less excuse, especially if… that was another thing that was bothering Katara. She still couldn't forget how closed her enemy's heart chakra had been.

All these conflicted thoughts tumbled through Katara's head, stirred to increasing anger by Azula's calculated words, until she couldn't hold it back. "Enough!" yelled Katara, letting loose a large wave.

Having deliberately provoked just such an attack, Azula was ready for it. Meeting it head on with a burst of heat, the Fire Princess converted Katara's attack into a mass of steam, the backlash enveloping Katara. Azula made her move, quickly and quietly entering the concealing mists. Having committed the terrain around her and the water bender to memory during their exchange, the Fire Princess stealthily avoided even the slightest pebble that might give away her position.

_Damn,_ thought Katara as the steam enveloped her and she realized she wasn't sure where Azula was. The thought was quite unsettling. Should she attack around where Azula had been? But if the Fire Princess had already moved then she'd give away her own position and be open for an attack she wouldn't be able to see coming. At the least she had better move herself before Azula was on top of her.

As she nervously made her way into the steam, Katara wished she had Toph's sharp senses. Knowing that the sadistic Fire Princess was somewhere nearby, but unable to see where she would attack from next was unnerving, to say the least. She could hear the distant sounds of the outside battle, but as much as she strained her ears for the faintest clue to Azula's location, inside the steam remained eerily quite, save for the lub-dub pounding of her heart. It was so loud to Katara that she was certain it would give her away to the Fire Princess.

Somewhere in the steam, Azula smirked, imagining her rivals nerves fray with each passing moment. So the Fire Princess would just let her stew in her anxiety for now, letting it build to a peak before she struck. And who knew, maybe the Witch would snap under the tension and do something stupid enough to give her position away.

There was too much steam for Katara to bend it all at once, but if she could just figure out where Azula was she could freeze the steam around her and trap her in ice. Wait! Maybe she could use her elemental power to "see" like Toph. Well, not exactly like Toph, but in her earlier fight she'd been able to sense the water inside others before bending it out. The water inside Azula would be much denser than the water in the steam. Even if she couldn't see the Fire Princess, maybe she'd still be able to sense the water inside her!

Closing her eyes to better focus her chi, Katara hesitated for a moment. Images of shriveled corpses and Azula's terrified memories of being violated flashed before her. _No! This isn't the same,_ Katara told herself as she shook her head, trying to clear the images. _I'm just going to make contact, I won't try to bend any of it. Never again. I'm doing it so I can subdue Azula without hurting her_, rationalized Katara, once again breaking her resolve to never touch the water inside others with her dark power. Knowing that Azula must surely be putting her own plan into action and could strike at any moment, Katara forced herself to reach out with her bending energy, searching for a denser human shaped patch of water.

And then she felt it. There was definitely another person here in the steam. They were nearby, and getting closer! But was it Azula? Or one of her lackeys acting as a decoy to make her reveal her position? All she could make out right now was a fuzzy impression of water. Sharpening her focus, Katara was once again surprised by just how much liquid there was inside the body; enough to feel the whole shape and outline of her hidden foe. Yep, that was Azula's body all right. Blushing, Katara briefly wondered just how much Toph "saw" with her earth vibrations.

Quickly moving her bending energy out of Azula and into the steam around her, Katara launched a freezing attack. _Gotcha! This will teach you to try and fight me within my own element!_ thought Katara as the ice froze around her target. Smiling with triumph, Katara elegantly finished her strike by converting the surrounding steam back to drenching water, so she might confirm her victory.

Sure enough, there was the Fire Princess, looking surprised at the ice entrapping her. Letting out a sigh of relief, Katara took a moment to regain her breath as she looked around for her allies. However, it was getting hard to see very far with all the residual steam, smoke, and dust that the battle royal was kicking up. It didn't help that Azula had chased her to the edge of the cavern away from the main action. Reorienting herself, Katara began to head back towards the center of the arena.

Approaching her frozen rival, Katara couldn't help rubbing her defeat in a bit, "So _who_ can't win Azula? I'm thinking it's the person whose zero for three when we've gone one on one," taunted Katara with one hand on her hip as she turned toward the Fire Princess.

As Katara then continued past her, Azula let her feigned surprise turn into a sinister smile, exhaling the heated breath she'd intentionally stored up. One moment Katara was striding triumphantly, the next she heard an explosion behind her. The next thing she knew, she was suddenly face down and in a world of hurt. Her head wouldn't stop throbbing, her front was bruised and bloodied, and it felt like there was ice shrapnel lodged in her back. _ShitShitShit! She's gonna kill me! Gottamove! Ow! Moon Spirit help me, why does it hurt so much?!_

Wincing in pain, Katara struggled to her feet, right as Azula charged in. The water bender doubled over as Azula sucker punched her in the stomach. If it weren't for the wind being knocked out of her, Katara would have screamed in pain as the heated strike burnt through her clothes and seared her abdomen. Using her other hand, Azula stripped away Katara's water flask and flung it behind her. That arm extended, it was in a perfect position to snap forward in a hook. Her other hand shoved Katara back up with a palm strike to the chest, allowing her punch to strike Katara full in the face. The water bender flew back from the impact, landing dazed on her side.

Shaking heavily, Katara somehow managed to get back on one knee. "Well, that was surprisingly satisfying." Katara froze as Azula's condescending voice cut through the pounding in her head. "Smart girl. I'm surprised you can still move, but you better not do anything besides slowly cross your hands behind your head so I can see them."

Raising her head, Katara saw two wavering Azulas that had her in their sights, ready to let loose a powerful bending attack if she made any wrong moves. Knowing the cruel Fire Princess needed little excuse, Katara slowly started to raise her hands, staring defiantly back at Azula so at least she'd know her spirit wasn't beaten. "How did…" began Katara, trying to buy some time, and hoping Azula would like the opportunity to rub her superior strategic genius in a defeated enemies face.

For her own reasons, the Fire Princess obliged her. "How did I know to prepare for your attack? You can invade the water inside others with your bending. So it was simple to anticipate that if unable to see me, you'd try and find me by searching for my water with your chi," lectured Azula, as if explaining the painfully obvious to a slow child. Katara was meanwhile frantically going over her options. Things didn't look good. Azula had made sure to knock her far away enough that there was hardly any nearby water to work with, save the water she'd drenched herself in and the ice shards piercing her back.

"Your mistake was failing to realize it could work both ways; you may have been able to find me, but I was also able to feel when your chi touched me as well. It was a much softer touch this time…" admitted Azula as Katara played out several scenarios in her head. They all ended up with her a smoldering corpse. "…and I would have missed it if I hadn't been specifically sensing for it. It you'd been up against a lesser bender who wasn't already intimately familiar with the feel of your chi you probably could have gone undetected. But you're up against me. So don't get any dumb ideas about attempting to bend inside me again Witch; I'll feel it the moment you try. And it will be the last thing you ever try," warned the Fire Princess. Katara was coming to the same conclusion; any attempt of hers would be too slow and weak to stop Azula, who could fire much quicker if the water bender so much as twitched a finger the wrong way. She was at the Fire Princess's mercy.

* * *

Next Chapter:

At the Mercy of the Fire Princess

Preview: "You're going to be defiant to the end, aren't you Water Witch? You can beg for your life you know."

"I wouldn't give you the pleasure. If you're going to do it, just get it over with."

"So you'd like me to put you out of your misery quickly, is that it? After the horrible lingering deaths you gave my men do you really think you deserve a quick clean kill?" asked Azula, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Wouldn't you say as their commander I have an obligation to avenge them in kind?"


	6. At the Fire Princesses' Mercy

**Chapter 6  
At the Fire Princesses' Mercy**

"Oh, and for the record Witch, I've never lost to you."

Katara wasn't exactly in a position to argue. She just settled for glaring at Azula. Tense moments passed as the two girls stared each other down, each waiting to see if the other would move first. _Why hasn't she finished me off? Is she just toying with me for her own twisted amusement? _

Focusing her blurry vision, Katara was surprised that the Fire Princess looked more smugly amused than blood thirsty. "You're going to be defiant to the end, aren't you Water Witch? You can beg for your life you know."

"I wouldn't give you the pleasure. If you're going to do it, just get it over with."

"So you'd like me to put you out of your misery quickly, is that it? After the horrible lingering deaths you gave my men do you really think you deserve a quick clean kill?" asked Azula, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Wouldn't you say as their commander I have an obligation to avenge them in kind?"

"No one deserves to die like that, Azula," replied Katara with regret. "You want to see me prostrate myself before you? Fine, but it won't be to beg for my life." Katara placed her palms and forehead to the ground, bowing before her surprised captor. "Fire Princess Azula, I know it doesn't make up for what I did, but I apologize for the two of your men whom I needlessly slaughtered. I'm sorry for the cruelly slow deaths they suffered, and for using such a horrific technique against yourself. I swear on my mother's charred bones that I'll never try and bend the water out of another person. If you feel the need to avenge your men, then you have that right. All I ask is that you do it quickly."

Finished saying her peace, Katara slowly struggled back to her feet. It hurt to move, but Katara found the pain easier and easier to ignore as a strange calm settled over her. She didn't even flinch when Azula fired a warning flame blast right in front of her. "I thought I told you not to move Witch."

"If I'm going to die, I'll do it like a Water Tribe Warrior; on my own two feet and looking death in the eye," replied Katara as she met Azula's angry glare. The water bender's gaze looked so serene that Azula felt her own annoyance and furrowed brow start to melt away. For a moment, the Fire Princess found her self strangely transfixed by those deep blue pools.

_Is she not going to kill me?_ Thought Katara in disbelief. _Maybe there's still hope for- _Azula snapped back to herself, eyes widening. Katara's glimmer of hope was dashed as she saw Azula tense and realized she was about to strike. Uncrossing her hands, Katara tried to protect herself, but it felt like time was passing in slow motion. She just wasn't quick enough.

Azula's weight slammed into Katara. Before the water bender could make sense of what was happening she felt Azula's arms wrap around her head and waist, pulling her close and spinning the two of them onto their sides so Katara wouldn't be skewered by the ice shards when they slammed into the floor.

Katara lay there in Azula's arms, for a moment dazed, not quite sure what had just happened. Given the rough circumstances, Azula's embrace felt oddly comfortable. Her feminine arms were surprisingly strong, leaving Katara no doubt that the Fire Princess could easily restrain her if she struggled. For the moment though, her grip, while strong, stopped just short of being painfully uncomfortable. The same was true for the heat that Katara could feel emanating from Azula's bending chi. The controlled warmth felt comforting as a campfire, though the fact that Azula could so precisely control her power carried the implicit threat that she could just as easily adjust her grip to flesh searingly hot. Her senses still in disarray, Katara's battered body instinctively nestled toward that comforting heat, like a moth to the flame.

_What am I doing?_ Thought Katara, blushing as her conscious awareness caught up with her body. Azula felt Katara's body stiffen. Immediately, she tightened her grip and increased the heat from her hands. "Ow! You're hurting me!" winced Katara. To Azula's surprise, she instinctively eased up as the other girl cried out. _What am I doing?_

Slowly looking back to where moments before she'd stood, Katara was shocked to see a huge pile of fallen boulders. _Did… did Azula just save my life?! _"Why…" asked a confused Katara as she looked back at her rival.

Deep blue met gleaming gold again for a brief moment before Azula quickly looked away. "Don't get the wrong idea Witch," sniffed Azula as she extricated herself from the awkward embrace, forcing the water bender face down. "It'd be a shame to kill such a talented bender as yourself when you could still be useful to me. I expect many of my soldiers to be injured after this battle. Your healing powers might even be able to save some of their lives. Can I expect you to cooperate Katara dear?"

While the request itself seemed reasonable, there was something in Azula's overly sweet tone that sent a shiver down Katara's spine. Craning her neck to look up at Azula from her helpless position, Katara could see the predatory gleam in the Fire Princesses' eye, as if she'd captured some exotic dangerous animal and was toying with what to do with it. Train it to perform in the circus perhaps, or mount it on the wall as a trophy if it proved too dangerous, maybe even keep it as a personal pet if it proved entertaining enough. "I'm not your "dear" Azula," Katara warned sharply. "But I will help the injured. I owe you… I owe you at least that much," conceded the water bender as she looked back down.

Azula looked annoyed at first with Katara's willful tone, but then smirked as her captive lowered her eyes. "You're an interesting challenge Witch. Now, if you promise not to try anything stupid, I'll let you melt those ice shards out of your back. They look painful," teased the Fire Princess as she poked one with her boot, making Katara wince in pain.

"Then don't poke them!" snapped Katara.

"I'm still waiting," reminded Azula as she pushed down harder, driving the ice shard into Katara's shoulder.

"Ow! Enough already!" grimaced Katara, "I won't try and break free, you sadistic bitch."

"If you keep it up with that attitude, you'll find out just how sadistic," warned Azula with a smirk, sliding her grip from Katara's hands to her wrists. Taking a deep breath in, the water bender turned her palms over onto her back and flexed her fingers, melting the ice shrapnel as her healing energy flowed into the water. Katara let out a sigh of relief as the sharp pain in her back began to dull.

"That's enough," declared Azula as she yanked the water bender's hands away. Katara winced as the cuts in her back were exposed to the stinging air. "If your a good girl, we'll see about treating the rest of your injuries later."

"…hey, Azula?" asked Katara, not looking at the Fire Princess.

"Don't try my generosity captive," warned Azula as she started using her free hand to undo the sash around her waist.

"No, I was just wondering… earlier you said we "touched souls"… I was wondering if you…"

"If I what, captive?" asked Azula as she paused in taking off her sash, intrigued by her rival's sudden insecurity.

"…well, I was wondering what you fel… I mean, what you saw?" corrected Katara as she hesitantly looked back.

Azula met her captive's apprehensive gaze, and then smiled cruelly. "A self righteous bitch who needs to be put in her place. Any other questions Katara dear?"

"Forget I asked!" huffed Katara as she turned away angrily. "… I just don't get why you're doing this. You know what a dangerous enemy I can be, and despite your posturing I doubt the lives of your men mean all that much to you. So why are you sparing me?"

"Because you're such fun to mess with." Failing to get a rise out of the Witch, the Fire Princess sighed, "Fine, if you really want to know the truth…" Azula began to confess as she bound Katara's fingers and wrists together with her sash, "…I haven't been quite myself since our last fight. Because of _you_, I haven't been able to keep my emotions entirely under control, and these impulsive feelings have been sweeping me up. I'll admit the intensity can be quite intoxicating, but I won't stand for not being in control of myself. You broke something inside me Water Witch, and you're going to fix it."

"Um, Azula?" replied Katara, biting her lip, not quite sure how to explain things to the Fire Princess. "You've got it backwards. You were already "broken" inside, what I did was inadvertently "fix" you."

"What are you saying?" snarled Azula as she grabbed Katara's hair and roughly twisted her neck, so as to force the suddenly frightened girl to look back at her. "Don't you dare lie to me Witch! You weren't trying to "fix" me, you were trying to kill me! How do you not injure something when you attack it with lethal force?! I still remember it clearly, that sensation as you tore my heart apart! It hurt more than anything else I've ever experienced, and you have the nerve to claim…!"

"I'm sorry Azula!" pleaded Katara, cringing as she winced her eyes shut. "But it's the truth; your heart chakra was closed and I brutally forced it open along with the emotions it governs. You're just not used to them; you probably haven't had been able to experience emotions normally for who knows how… Azula?" Katara suddenly realized something wasn't right as Azula's arm went slack, freeing her hair.

"…father…" whispered Azula as her eyes slowly widened in disbelief.

***

Next:

Katara: Do you have a dream?

Aang: To restore peace and harmony to the world.

Azula: To rule the world as the greatest Fire Lord in Fire Nation history.

Aang: What about you Katara? What's your dream for when the fighting's over?

Katara: …

Azula: Fighting is never over. To live is to fight to reach the top. And once you get there to keep others from taking what's yours. You'd do well to remember that Avatar.

Aang: Doesn't living like that start to get old after awhile Azula?

Azula: …

Chapter 7: Faded Dreams

[not actual Chapter 7 dialogue]


	7. Faded Dreams

**Chapter 7**  
**Faded Dreams**

"FATHER!" Her captive forgotten, the Fire Princess rushed toward the center of the cavern, parting the walls of flame in her way.

_Is it over? Did Aang win? But if Azula's that upset… _ Wondered Katara as she started looking for an ally who could free her. Where was everyone? All the fire and smoke was really getting out of control, making it impossible to see much of anything. As the flames Azula had bent out of her way closed back up behind her, Katara realized with panic that she couldn't even see the Fire Princess and had no idea where the cavern exit was. Katara couldn't believe that she felt less safe with Azula gone. Struggling against her bonds, an image of burning to death alone started to fill her mind.

Fighting down her panic attack, Katara resisted the urge to call out for help. Azula would be the one most likely to hear, and she had to take advantage of the Fire Princesses' distraction to try and escape. The cavern rumbled ominously as Katara got to her feet, starting in surprise as boulders from the ceiling fell near her. Was it just her imagination, or was it getting hotter? It even felt like the ground underneath her feet was warming up! Dismissing it as an after effect from the panic attack, Katara started looking around for a sharp rock or something she could use to try and free her hands. _Argh! How could I be so stupid! That's why that cunning bitch pretended to make nice and let me melt those ice shards! Wait…!_

_*_

Steeling herself, Azula still wasn't ready for the sight. Though face down, his long black hair with the royal crest at the top was unmistakable. The rest of his body was buried under an immense pile of boulders. Blood was slowly seeping out from underneath them. Sitting next to him, sadly cradling his one free arm to her face was…! "Mother, what are you doing here!"

"Azula?" said Ursa as she turned toward her daughter, a strange sad look in her eyes, "It's been a long time. Too long; I missed you all so much, and now it's too late…" said the Fire Lady as she reached out and touched her daughters cheek, as if to confirm that she was truly there.

"What are you bab… Never mind! We have to get Father free!" Ordered Azula as she turned toward Ozai's side and tried to pull him out from under the rubble.

"It's too late for him Azula." declared Ursa as she softly put a hand on her daughters shoulder.

"No it's not!" denied Azula fiercely. "I've captured the worlds most powerful Waterbender. She can heal him! KATARA! GET OVER HERE NOW!" bellowed the Fire Princess. "Go retrieve her Mother, she's a dark skinned girl about my age, dressed in blue. I left her straight that way!" Grunting as she strained her arms against her fathers pinned weight, the slick blood made her lose her grip and Azula fell unceremoniously on her rear.

Katara was having some difficulty as well, having cut her wrists several times as she tried to saw Azula's sash against the jagged ice block the Fire Princess had escaped from. Azula's booming summons startled the water bender, making her cut herself again. There was a desperate edge to Azula's call that pulled at Katara. But what if it was the Fire Lord who was mortally wounded?

Katara knew she'd made a good faith agreement to heal the injured, but she hadn't meant _that monster_. It would go against the whole reason for this battle. What if Azula forced the issue at flame point though? Should she betray Azula, letting Ozai and surely herself die? Would she have the courage to do it even if she decided it was the right thing? Avoiding having to face up to that ethical conundrum, Katara refocused on escape, pushing her arms down with all her might; the jagged ice finally cut through the sash, as well as much of Katara's arm. The water bender barely managed to hold back her pained scream.

Azula began to try and dig her Father free. Unmoving from her vigil beside her husband, Ursa resumed speaking, in a voice that sounded as if she was watching a dream from afar, "Your Father would visit me secretly from time to time you know. After we'd make love, He'd promise that once he'd conquered the world there'd be no where left I could be banished to, and my exile would be over. It was a sweet sentiment, and I let myself believe it, but I doubt it was anymore sincere then when you'd act like family was important. Where's your brother Azula, is Zuko still alive?" asked Ursa with a calmness that grated on the Fire Princess.

"Who cares about that traitor?!" exploded Azula as she tossed rocks left and right. "Did exile drive you insane Mother?! Your daughter needs you to stop sitting there and help save _your injured husband _who's right in front of you, and yet you ask about Zuko?! Do you really care about him that much more than us?!" screeched Azula, her voice beginning to raise to a hysterical pitch. "And where are those damn earth benders when I need them? Where's Katara?! WHERE IS EVERYONE! DAI LI AGENTS, GET OVER HERE!!" screamed Azula as she strained to move a larger boulder. It finally came free, but more rubble tumbled down into it's place, several smaller rocks striking Azula in the head, cutting her.

"Yes, I did love Zuko the most," admitted Ursa to her stunned daughter. "You made it worse though by pushing me away. You could never stand the thought of coming in second in anything, especially not to your brother. So you'd act like you didn't care about my affections. It hurt a lot Azula, and I don't think I dealt with it as well as I could have. Maybe if I'd had more time I'd have learned…"

"It hurt _you_ a lot?! How do you think I fel…" began Azula, before catching herself. "We don't have time for your sentimental nonsense mother. Get out of the way and do something about those flames closing in. I'm going to blast this damn rubble away!" warned Azula as she backed up and started to generate lighting.

"That's enough Azula," said Ursa as she slapped her daughter firmly enough to halt her attack, then forced her daughters hand back to her side. "It's far too late; Ozai was dead before you arrived. We're able to start the flames in motion," said Ursa as she motioned to the encroaching blaze she wasn't doing anything about, "but we're powerless to stop them once they've began to burn. The destruction we set in motion is destined to continue until it consumes that which fuels it. It is our fate."

"D-dead?" stuttered Azula in disbelief. "…No. H-he can't be! It's a lie! Daddy was always invincible! That little brat could never have beaten him! If I could best and kill the Avatar how could… It doesn't matter, Mother! Just you watch, I can defeat even your so called "fate." I killed the Avatar once, but the Water Witch is unbelievably powerful; she brought him back to life! I'll save Father yet!" declared the Fire Princess with a maniacal defiance as she tried to pull away from her mother.

"Yes you might," chuckled Ursa doubtfully, but she knew her formidable daughter well enough to not completely dismiss her denial as grief induced ravings. Perhaps even the Reaper would cower and flee before Azula's fierce determination. And that could not be allowed to happen. "You were always so capable Azula, I'm truly proud to have been the Mother of such a talented daughter," said Ursa as she embraced Azula.

"W-what are you doing Mother?" exclaimed the Fire Princess as she tried to squirm free. There's no time for this! I have to get Katar-"

"I love you, Azula."

Azula froze as her Mother spoke those three little words. Though she never would have admitted it, even to herself, deep down she'd always feared that her Mother considered her an unlovable monster. So she'd tried to convince herself that she didn't care what her mother thought of her or whether she was loved. But as those words shook her to her core, Azula realized just how much she'd been longing for this; to be embraced and assured that she was loved. As her mother's words sunk in, Azula stiff body began to slowly relax into the her mother's arms. Leaving her just as unready for Ursa's next three little words: "Let's die together."

***

Next:  
Chapter 8 Waking Nightmare


	8. Waking Nightmare

Chapter 8  
**Waking Nightmare**

The Fire Lady awoke in a cold sweat, trembling. Even though the solstice had passed, the nightmares were getting worse. This had been the most vivid and disturbing yet.

Ursa lit a small flame in her hand so she could figure out where she was. The flickering light illuminated what appeared to be her small simple bedroom, but looks could be deceiving. It wouldn't be the first time she'd awoken into another dream. Narrowing her eyes, the Fire Lady intently studied the room for the slightest thing amiss, for the smallest clue that might indicate that this wasn't really her room and she was still ensnared in the dreaming. Had that dent always been there on the far wall? Was the candle by the dresser really burnt down that low?

Sighing, Ursa quickly extinguished the light, plunging the room back into absolute darkness. The Fire Lady shivered, her dream coming back to her with the dark. She was sorely tempted to light some of the candles, but then _they_ might see the light and be drawn to it. And Ursa did not want to attract theirattention, especially not _hers,_ not after that nightmare.

Next was to figure out when she was. The solstice had already passed. That was established. But how long ago? The comet arrived at the end of summer. So the number of days from the solstice to the comet was…? And then the number left would be… puzzled out Ursa as she began anxiously running her hand through her hair, as if to coax the elusive numbers from her head. It was no good! It was impossible to keep track of the days in this dark hole where she couldn't even see the light from Agni, and each monotonous "day" was indistinguishable from the next.

This was bad. For all she knew, the harbinger of fire would be here any moment. And she wasn't ready yet. At least it would likely all be over then. While the thought brought some relief, it also filled Ursa with dread.

Composing herself, the Fire Lady set about getting ready for the "day". Though it could just as easily be the dead of night. It often felt like time had abandoned her on this drifting isle of the damned, where the future did not exist, and the past continually stalked the present.

Making her way blindly to the dresser, Ursa could feel the eye's of her family watching her from the portrait that hung opposite the door. She could particularly feel Azula's eyes carefully watching her with that sadistic calculating gleam they took on when she thought Mother wasn't watching. Quickly lighting the candle on the dresser with a flame dart as she spun around, Ursa turned to face her daughter. She was too slow; Azula knew she was being watched now, and was of course looking all sweet and innocent as she sat dutifully at Mother's feet.

Warily eyeing her daughter before she turned back toward the dresser, Ursa began to change out of her sleeping garments. Now it was her husband's lascivious gaze she could feel lingering over her. The Fire Lady quickly changed into her royal dress, fastidiously smoothing out the wrinkles as she went, and then set about combing her hair.

Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered, it's not like there was really anyone else around to care about her appearance. And she didn't have the excuse of living up to her rank anymore; she was merely a criminal, lower in station than even a dirt encrusted peasant. She was reminded of this every time the supply shipment came. When she'd first came to this desolate place, she was so desperate for human contact that she would try and talk to the soldiers. Now however, she would retreat to the deepest reaches of the darkness when they arrived, unable to stand the way they would ignore her as if she was beneath their notice. Even without seeing them though, she could still feel their contempt for her radiating through her tomb.

Ursa reminded herself that this was proper. After all, she was a murderess and a traitor. Her suffering was her rightful punishment, and a useful example to others who might contemplate treason against their liege. Bringing her hair up, Ursa looked for a hairpin that wasn't stained with blood, and then secured the royal topknot in her imperial hairpiece. At her most depressed moments, Ursa suspected Ozai let her keep these memento's not out of any remaining fondness for her, but to cruelly remind her of all she had lost.

This would be easier if she had a mirror, but Ursa had destroyed all the mirrors long ago. You could never be sure who might be lurking on the other side. Encountering a mirror was a sure sign that she was trapped on the other side of the past's looking glass. Ursa's preparations were suddenly interrupted as she heard a faint sound that should not be. Someone, or something, was rapping on the front door.

Ursa's eye's widened in fear as she held her breath, hoping that she was mistaken. She knew full well that there was no one else on this forsaken island. It wasn't time for another shipment, and they didn't bother knocking anyway. There it was again! Something was definitely at the front door. Ursa quickly blew out the candle, cloaking the room back in darkness as she cursed herself for having let the light burn too long. Something must have seen that light. Something was being drawn here.

It was probably one of _them_, though they usually visited while she was helpless in bed. Their oppressive presence would weigh down upon her, paralyzing her, leaving her helplessly struggling to reconnect her mind and body as she sensed them making their way through the house, until they loomed in the bedroom doorway. One of the reasons she preferred the dark is so she didn't have to look at them. There were few things more terrifying than sensing a malevolent presence right next to you, but seeing nothing when it should have entered your field of vision. You knew though as an overwhelming fact that _something_ was before you, and despite it's lack of form, it _was_ capable of doing awful things to you. Ursa shuddered at the shameful memories.

_Please, Agni, let it go away_, prayed Ursa as she covered her ears. Agni had no presence in this dark place however. As she uncovered her ears, they were greeted by the sound of a door slowly creaking open. *c-creeeaak* *thump* *thump* The door from the ante chamber opened, and heavy footsteps began to make their way down the hall. Fear gripped Ursa as a flickering light began to seep underneath the crack in the bedroom door. The light! How dare they bring it with them! Surely they knew the effect it had! If something wasn't done it's brethren would soon follow the light here. Perhaps it was a herald of the comet, bearing the flame of her ekpirosis?

All Ursa knew was that she wouldn't succumb without a fight. The light had to be extinguished _now_ if she were to stand a chance resisting Sozin's comet. Reaching into her drawer, she grabbed one of the hairpins, then glided silently to the side of the door. Ursa listened to the intruding presence, waiting for the right moment. There it was, the sound of another doors in the hallway slowly creaking open. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Ursa reached for the door handle.

*

The intruder peered into the washroom, bringing the flame forward to better see. Just like the other rooms, all the windows had been shrouded with either thick black towels or blankets nailed to the wall, which itself had been painted black, along with the ceiling and floor. The only potential illumination seemed to be the burnt down candles scattered strategically around the room.

_What in the world is going on here? _wondered the intruder. The former Fire Princess had always had an excellence taste for aesthetics. To see all her favorite shades of red and gold trim swallowed up by this spreading darkness was somehow very sad. Not to mention a little creepy. Apprehension was taking hold as he searched from room to room, a growing fear at what might eventually be found. The fear was entirely justified as what the unfortunate trespasser was looking for found him first. Outside, a murder of crows suddenly took flight, startled as a piercing scream rang out across the island.

***

A/N: One day as a young boy I as I came home and saw a black towel over the basement window. Mother said the light was too bright, and the towel was to keep it out. The next day she'd pinned another towel to the wall with thumbtacks, saying the reflection from the light bothered her. After that, she started stuffing towels underneath the cracks at the bottom of every door, to keep the light from sneaking under them, and you would always have to push the towel back into place after entering the room. Day after day, black towels spread out across the room, blotting out any remaining light, until her basement bedroom was plunged into complete darkness, which she largely stayed in for over a decade. It was one of the saddest things I'd ever seen.

Next:  
Chapter 9  
The Other Side of Time's Dark Glass


	9. The Other Side of Time's Dark Glass

Chapter 9  
**The Other Side of Time's Dark Glass**

"Ursa, what are you doing?!" grunted Iron as he held back the former Fire Princess's trembling wrist, her gleaming hairpin mere inches from his skull. She'd swooped in like a pale banshee, striking with frightening speed. Only instincts honed by years on the battlefield had saved the retired Fire Nation general.

"The light. Put it out!" demanded the Fire Lady as she locked her bloodshot eyes on the general. Her free hand clawed frantically toward the hand he was carrying the flame in, but his strong arms held her back.

"But why-"

"Put it out!" shrieked the Fire Lady.

Not understanding, but seeing how clearly the light upset his sister-in-law, Iroh reluctantly extinguished the flame, returning the hallway to darkness. "Is that better Ursa?" asked Iroh gently as the Fire Lady breathed a sigh of relief. "Or would you still like to kill your brother-in-law?" he added wryly, letting go of her wrist. "I guess that's what I get for forgetting your last several birthdays. It wasn't easy finding you, you know. This island isn't even on the most top secret of naval maps."

"I-iroh? Is that you?" asked Ursa, cocking her head to the side as she folded her arms back inside her robes, slipping her make-shift weapon into a hidden inner sleeve as if nothing had happened. "It's very unusual for you to visit."

"Do you mean here?" questioned Iroh, a little confused. "I've never…"

"You must be here to avenge your father, I suppose?" asked Ursa pointedly, as if he hadn't even spoken.

"…So, you really did do it," stated the general sadly. The Fire Lady was surprised at the lack of blame in his voice. Usually her visitors wasted no time tormenting her. "I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe that you were just an unfortunate scapegoat for my brother's ambition." Ursa was surprised to feel a slight twinge of guilt. Despite her husband's distaste for his elder brother, she'd always respected the kindly general. Disappointing him stung more than she thought it would. Iroh had always been a subtle one, and it appeared his torment would be as well.

Girding herself with imperial indifference Ursa replied, "Sorry to disappoint you general. You're brother was uninvolved; I acted alone. However, this make your revenge simple," explained Ursa as she offered herself up, turning her palms up as she spread her arms out, "all you need do is kill me and honor will be satisfied."

"You seem eager to court death my lady," observed Iroh gravely. "Fate may offer a less hopeless path to freedom for you though."

"So, you are one of the ones whose cruelty is telling me the lies I wish to hear," laughed Ursa with resignation as she returned her hands to her side. "Very well then; tell me of my children. How are Zuko and Azula? …Speak! Why do you hesitate so!"

"…I think you would be quite proud of your son Lady Ursa. I've watched over him these many years, and he has grown tremendously into an honorable young prince. The path has not been easy for him, but he has learned from his mistakes, and at last found his own path back into the light after so many years lost in the shadow of his father. He has courageously chosen to do that which he believes is right and honorable for himself and the Fire Nation even though it puts him at great risk," Ursa's eyes narrowed at this. "However, he has made true friends amongst the strongest of his generation, and I have faith that together they will be able to persevere and redeem the follies of ours."

"I see the years have made you no less oblique brother," replied Ursa tersely as she scrutinized where the general stood. She couldn't see him of course, but she didn't need to to know he was tiptoeing around something. Putting it aside, she continued, "I suppose you have equally enigmatic news of my daughter?"

"My view of Azula may be unfairly biased…" began the general, sighing heavily as memories came back to him.

*

Normally when Iroh returned to the capital it was at midday, Agni shining down upon all the teeming citizens whom lined the streets to celebrate their war hero's latest triumph. This time however the general had returned to no fanfare. Concealed under a heavy cloak and heavier rain, he silently made his way through the dark streets as he returned unobserved to the royal palace.

Lost deep in thought, he almost didn't notice the argument until he was right around the corner from it. "Take it back Azula! How dare you talk about Uncle that way!" Halting, Iroh cautiously looked around the corner. There was Zuko, fists clenched and teeth bared. Opposite from him was Azula, head cocked back with an expression of amused contempt at her brother's challenge.

"Well, why do _you_ think that failure suddenly disappeared and hasn't been heard from since?" asked the young Fire Princess sweetly.

"I…I'm sure he has his reasons. Maybe he just needs some time to himself after Lu Ten… went away," offered up Zuko, who had in fact been brooding over his mother's own disappearance before Azula had interrupted him. She seemed to have an uncanny knack for showing up exactly when he wished to be left alone.

"Which is just another reason for him to do it," countered the little Fire Princess, a cruel gleam in her eyes. "It was under his failed command that Lu Ten died, and to make it even worse that quitter didn't even avenge him by seeing through the siege our cousin gave his life for. I tell you Zuko, that's more than enough reasons for our loser uncle to immolate himself," whispered Azula in her brother's ear. Zuko's fists started to shake as Azula began to lecture him, a pedantic finger held aloft to emphasize her points, "Take note for future personal use Zuko. It's a perfectly traditional way for a disgrace to take responsibility for their failures you know. It goes all the way back to our ancestors being impressed by the Sun Warrior practice of immolating themselves rather than being taken cap…"

"RRHHAAAGGHH!" A triumphant smirk on her face, Azula pivoted out of the way of her brother's oh-so-predictable punch. Ensnaring his feet with her own, the Fire Princess grabbed her brothers arm, then bringing her other hand back to his shoulder blade, shoved him to the floor. Straddling the small of his back, Azula brought her brother's limb back into a painful joint lock. "Argh! Let me go!" demanded the Crown Prince as he tried to squirm free. "Let me go Azula or I'll…"

"Or you'll what?" Taunted his sister as she pulled back further on his arm, making Zuko wince in pain. "Go cry to Mother? Oh, that's right, by now she's just as much a pile of ash as Uncle! Face it, there's no one left to protect a weakling like you!" declared Azula, her eyes widening with a feral bloodlust. She could feel the tendons and ligaments in her brother's shoulder straining at their limit, and how it wouldn't take that much more to tear them apart. "You could always embarrass yourself going to Father, but I doubt he'd even care if I were to snap your arm off!"

"Ergh! Stop joking around Azula! It feels like it's going to break," said Zuko through clenched teeth, sweat beading his forehead as the pain became almost nauseating. Straining to look back at his sister, a shiver ran through Zuko as she responded only with the widening of her merciless grin. The temptation to dislocate his shoulder with one sharp pull was nearly overwhelming, but Azula restrained herself, instead pulling back with an agonizing slowness. She wanted to give the inevitability time to slowly sink in. _Go ahead and beg brother, like the weakling you are!_ Thought Azula as she felt the tendons begin to tear.

"That's enough!" Azula gasped as a strong arm restrained hers. She tried to quickly yank her and Zuko's arm back, but the grip on her wrist was like iron, tightening as she struggled. Turning in rage on whomever dared try take away her toy, the Fire Princess was brought up short by the imposing figure of her uncle.

For a moment their eyes locked, fury meeting firm disapproval. While Iroh gave no outward sign of it, he was deeply disturbed by the sadistic glee he'd just witnessed. Equally disturbing was how quickly his niece replaced her anger and bloodlust with a cold calculating mask. Not breaking eye contact, Azula attempted one more quick tug with her arm. Iroh easily held her in place, his crushing grip tightening proportionally, whereupon Azula immediately released her hold on Zuko. _She was testing me,_ realized Iroh as he firmly picked the Fire Princess up by the collar, setting her roughly down a full arm length from her brother.

"Uncle!" cried out Prince Zuko in relief as he got to his feet, shooting his sister a _you're in trouble now_ look.

Undaunted, the Little Princess straightened out her collar as she coolly returned their stares. "Well, if it isn't our dear Uncle. You showed up just in time. Zuzu attacked me and I was forced to defend myself."

"That's because you-!" started Zuko before his uncle held him back with a hand.

"Indeed, you defended yourself quite skillfully, but your execution was not quite perfect. Do you know what true mastery of self defense is Azula?"

"Your eye sight must be going along with the rest of your once renowned prowess's Uncle, my form was perfect," replied Azula with a piqued eyebrow, not quite able to hold back her irritation at being told she was less than perfect.

"It was not your form that was lacking Princess. Mastery of self defense is achieved when you learn to expend no more energy than is needed to subdue your target," instructed Iroh, looking pointedly at the throbbing wrist Azula had started absentmindedly rubbing. Caught red handed, Azula quickly dropped her arm back to her side and looked away in embarrassment, cursing herself for letting the enemy see such weakness. "Any energy expended beyond that is a waste, and moves you back to being an aggressor. What do you think would have happened If I'd "defended" Zuko with your style of defense?" warned Iroh, suddenly clenching his fingers together in front of Azula. The already off balance Princess couldn't help but wince as the motion evoked the recent memory of the general's iron grip, this time crushing every bone in her hand. Zuko watched in awe; this was the first time he'd ever seen someone cow his sister.

"Y-you wouldn't dare! Father would melt the flesh from your bones!" Iroh regarded the little Princesses outburst coolly. Flustered at losing control so badly, Azula took a deep breath to steady herself. She couldn't lose like this. Especially not to someone Father said was such a pathetic failure. "Congratulations General," said Azula as she flicked a stray hair back into place, "You may not be able to win battles anymore, but you can at least frighten little girl's for a _brief_ moment."

"Maybe next he can move on to terrorizing baby turtle ducks," suggested Zuko with a snicker. …Wait. Was _Zuko_ of all people _laughing at her?!_

"Terrorizing… baby turtle ducks?" asked Iroh with a slight chuckle as he looked quizzically between Zuko and Azula, whose face was starting to redden.

"Yeah… *snicker*… she lures them in by pretending she's going to feed them… *snort*… but then throws the bread _at _them," chortled Zuko. Seeing his Uncle try to suppress his own amusement, Zuko lost it, breaking out into laughter, which was soon joined by his Uncle's deep guffaw.

_How dare they laugh at her!_ "It's not funny you idiots!" seethed Azula, her fists extended tightly at her side. The two of them tried to reign in their laughter, they really did, but all it took was one look at the red faced angry little Princess, and then back at each other, for them to break out laughing even louder than before. Powerless before their mirth, Azula stormed off down the hall, Zuko's taunting "quack" "quacks" and Iroh's booming laugh echoing all around her. They'd pay for this humiliation. _Watch your back Uncle, someday I'll have enough power to challenge you… _

Reaching the end of the hall, Azula paused for a moment. The laughter was dying down enough for her to get in a word edgewise, "It's also a waste of energy brooding over the dead Zuzu. It'll only turn you into a pathetic weakling who can't move forward," warned Azula, looking back at Iroh with murderous contempt.

"What a brat! She always has to have the last word, doesn't she," grumbled Zuko, glaring at the corner his sister had quickly disappeared around.

"It is scant salve for her deeply wounded pride; begrudge it and you give her victory by sinking down to the same petty level. Besides, there is some wisdom in her advice, consider it graciously and you rise above her," observed Iroh as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.

"Mother's not dead!" exploded the Fire Prince. "You're wrong Uncle, I'll never listen to what that liar has to say! Can't you see she was just trying to insult us! I hate her! She's cruel, manipulative, enjoys deceiving and hurting others, and she thinks she's so perfect and has to remind everyone else how pathetic they are next to her!"

"You're right Zuko, you do have a cruel and very dangerous sister," affirmed the general sadly as he turned away. "It could be worse though."

"Yeah right, Azula has got to be the worst sister in the whole world," groused the Fire Prince. "How could a sibling be any worse?"

"They could not care about you at all," replied Iroh grimly. _Though I fear when the time comes she will, like Sozin, choose cruel ambition over any allegiance to affections._

***

Next:

How do you break it to a Mother that her daughter is "crazy and needs to go down?" Especially when said mother is even crazier and has already nearly killed you once?

Chapter 10: Queen's Gambit

Blathering A/N: I wasn't satisfied with the first draft of this chapter, and had to rewrite large parts of it. It took awhile to get a feel for Iroh, but he was a lot of fun to write once I hit my stride. Hopefully I didn't mangle his characterization anywhere near as badly as the first draft did -_-;

It wasn't even until the rewrite that I got the idea for the flashback that ended up taking on a life of it's own and dominating the chapter, pushing a lot of material into the (hopeful) conclusion of this entirely unplanned flashback trilogy. I find it interesting how in the act of writing stuff will go completely the opposite of how I imagine. For example, I thought Azula was going to walk all over Iroh and Zuko. I should have known that Iroh is badass enough to take even Azula down a peg.

Oh, and Iroh did reprimand Zuko over recklessly starting fights. I agonized about whether to leave the scene in or not; on one hand I felt it was important to show effective disciplining in action because children are wild beasts who need civilizin, but in the end it either wrecked the end note or came across as forced and disrupting the narrative flow if I tried to move it elsewhere. So I guess the lesson here is that narrative flow trumps moral instruction. lol.


	10. Queen's Gambit

Chapter 10  
**Queen's Gambit**

"I will give Azula credit where it's due though," admitted Iroh grudgingly. "Her relentless drive for perfection combined with her prodigious talent has made her into a very skilled and accomplished Princess. She mastered the deadly art of lightning bending at the youngest age recorded in the imperial archives," began Iroh. Ursa knew of her daughter's amazing feats already; Ozai loved to brag about his favorite prodigy. Not that she minded hearing of them again, though Iroh recounted the conquest of Ba Sing Se with far less enthusiasm than his brother.

"The Princess possess both the beauty of her mother and the commanding presence of her imperial ancestors. She is a natural and cunning leader, capable of commanding both fear and reverence. Her charisma and ruthless will to power is enough to overawe and intimidate even her enemies into serving her. She has become the perfect daughter my brother always wanted. However, in the absence of your influence, there has been precious little to reign in her cruel nature," sighed the general.

"I could endure all the contempt she threw my way, but it was difficult to watch the many ways she enjoyed tormenting and manipulating those around her, especially her brother. There was little I could do without overstepping my brother's domain of deciding what was and wasn't proper discipline for his children. It is a difficult thing to watch someone you care about being deliberately hurt, yet being unable to do anything for them. Zuko was too young and proud to heed my advice. And Azula, perceptive as always, knew how much my powerlessness frustrated me. She'd go out of her way to see just how much she could get away with, going as far as she could without crossing the line whereupon I'd intervene directly, telling me that if I had a problem with her conduct to take it up with her father. I'm afraid I grew to dislike your daughter Lady Ursa," confessed the general.

"No, the fault is mine for not being there to be a proper mother to Azula. I'm sorry both you and Zuko had to suffer for my negligence," apologized the Fire Lady as she bowed her head. "My daughter does not make herself easy to like. I always knew something was wrong with her, but I had hoped it was just a phase; that as she matured she would grow out of such childish cruelty."

"Well, she has grown beyond casual cruelty towards animals at least," said Iroh with a slight chuckle. Ursa shot him a glance, and he quickly turned serious, "Her disregard for others and the scale of her sadism has grown to match the grand scope of her ambitions. Even I was taken aback when I learned what she plans to harness the comet's terrible power for," warned Iroh, his grim tone causing a premonition of dread to settle upon Ursa. "Our engineers have recently conquered the sky, creating war balloons that sail upon the air just as our navy does upon the waves. On the day of Sozin's comet, Azula has recommended to the my brother that this fleet rain fire down upon the Earth Kingdom, reducing it and all it's inhabitants to ash. She and Ozai plan to personally lead the fleet that will burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground."

For a moment Ursa was stunned, her mind trying to wrap its self around the sheer scale of such a holocaust. It was true the Earth Kingdom was an enemy, and sometimes enemy cities had to be razed to the ground for strategic reasons, but to so causally wipe out non-combatants and a whole people… "T-that's horrible!" whispered Ursa in realization as the full enormity of so many lives cut short struck her. "We've already won the war. There's no honor in fighting against those who can't defend themselves. Why…?" asked Ursa, a knot forming in her stomach as her heart already knew the answer.

"Why not if the lives of others mean nothing to you and they stand in your way? My contacts in the Earth Kingdom report that our troops have been forcibly relocating Earth Kingdom natives toward the interior, or herding them into tightly packed wooden housed ghettos separate from the colonists, like kola-lambs to the slaughter," reported Iroh, a rare edge of anger in his usually calm voice. "To be honest though, my brother is doing it because he can, and he'll enjoy it. The chance to unleash the power Sozin's comet bestows comes only once a life time. My brother has always enjoyed the exercise of power, and what better way to revel in that power than the destruction of a continent? Azula is her father's daughter, through and through, and her enjoyment of cruelty surpasses even his. I image her desires are the same, though you probably could say better than I," the general carefully added.

Ursa didn't want to believe that her husband and daughter were so cold as to plan and gleefully execute the systemic slaughter of millions. Sadly, she couldn't really say she was surprised. All too easily the image of them setting the world ablaze from the heavens filled her mind; the two of them grinning like devils as they watched the smoke and flames, the screams of beast and man burning below music to their ears. "Oh, husband, daughter, even for you two... this is just… just too much…" whispered the Fire Lady mournfully as she held her suddenly weary head in one hand.

"Such a calamity may yet be averted," offered Iroh, regretting the pain that his news was bringing his sister-in-law. "There are many in the Fire Nation like us who believe such a slaughter is going too far and would bring dishonor upon our country. That it is a waste of lives trying to conquer the marginal unsubdued interior provinces of the Earth Kingdom, all for the sake of the Fire Lord's ego obsession with becoming "supreme ruler of the world." That it is time to end the war. While many are still afraid to speak these thoughts, Prince Zuko has bravely risked his life to give voice and action to these convictions, denouncing his Father and joining forces with the Avatar to dethrone him. Time is running short however; the Avatar must defeat the Fire Lord and Zuko's forces take control of the government before the comet arrives, so that Ozai's murderous orders may be rescinded."

"In other words elder brother, you're seeking the throne, and you want me to take your and Zuko's side against my husband and daughter," stated the Fire Lady as her eyes narrowed critically and a small flame leapt from her hand, her tall illuminated figure suddenly looming over Iroh. "You do know that loyalty demands I tell my liege husband of your treachery?"

"There are some things more important than loyalty sister. Or rather, some loyalties are higher than others. Why did you kill my father?" asked the general, unflinchingly meeting her inscrutable gaze.

"To protect Zuko, whom he'd ordered put to death," replied Ursa, her tone grim and flat.

The revelation visibly shocked Iroh, and he laughed awkwardly, "What a lovely family we are."

"Indeed," replied the Fire Lady dryly as she brought up the flame to better study Iroh's face. "If you seek your brother's life and to take the throne, why use the Avatar or me to do your dirty work?"

"If I am the one to defeat Ozai, people will merely see it as just another sad chapter in the cycle of violence; a brother killing his brother for the sake of power," explained Iroh. "If the Avatar is the one to defeat Ozai, then the world can perceive the end of the war as an act of justice, of a higher power rendering judgment."

"Your ideals may be pure, but the real world is often a messier place," observed Ursa, her gaze losing focus as it was drawn to the flame dancing in her hand. "Can the Avatar really win against my husband's fearsome power? I hear he is a mere boy, who has not realized the god like power the legends speak of. That you would cruelly try to pit me against my family and make me another of your pawns suggests you are not confident of your chances. Is your desperate righteousness merely leading my children to their doom?" asked the Fire Lady as she stepped toward Iroh, the flame in her hand flaring up.

"As you say, the outcome of the final battle is shrouded in uncertainty," replied Iroh honestly, holding his ground. "The Avatar and his companions are strong, but we are pushing them too fast. If only we had more time to prepare, but our destiny is already upon us. The Avatar is a gentle spirit who sees all life as sacred; it appears he may hesitate to fight with his all if it means killing, and such a moment of hesitation against my brother could be disastrous. I fear the coming battle will be close, with many deaths on both sides, and could easily be made to tip either way on the smallest of such factors," summarized the general, his eyes pleading as he looked at the Fire Lady.

"Perhaps," mused Ursa, her voice beginning to drift as she held the growing blaze up before her, as if to judge its weight. "Your points are taken general, but this is not the same as before. Back then, if I had not acted Zuko would have certainly died, while my sacrifice would save him. I had no particular bonds of blood or affection for your late father. My husband and daughter however are still close to my heart, no matter how monstrous my head may recognize they are."

"Even if I do take up flames against my Liege, Zuko might still be killed on the battlefield. Even if I do nothing, he may still be victorious. He is no longer a defenseless child, but an adult capable of protecting himself. I could remain rotting on this rock, and the Earth Kingdom might still be saved from the coming holocaust. I could choose to fight, and we might still be defeated, burning along with the rest of the world." Ursa's lilting voice drifted back and forth with the flickering flame, it's size growing alarmingly as the Fire Lady's arm began to shake. "Imagine general, perhaps you'd have me kill my husband and daughter, and we could still be defeated in the end, the army carrying out Ozai's last order anyway. It would be conceited of me to believe that the actions of one women would change the fate of such a large conflict. Of course, this assumes that any of this is actually happening."

"While this may be a nightmare sister, it is also reality," replied Iroh firmly as he tried to lock eyes with Ursa, the flickering flame dancing madly upon the surface of her gaze.

"Sadly general, I'm no longer in position to distinguish between the two," confessed the Fire Lady, confirming Iroh's suspicions. ""Do you know what it's like? To spend days, weeks, months, _years_ in isolation, without seeing another soul? Eventually you get so lonely, so desperate for company that you start imagining things. People and places start walking out of your dreams into the waking hours, until you can't tell the difference between the two."

"Or perhaps some of them are really visitors and visions from the other side," speculated Ursa, the flame in her hand growing to the point that it obscured Iroh's view of her face with a fiery glow. "I am the Avatar's granddaughter after all, cursed to see beyond the veil. Your father especially likes to visit on the solstice, his smoldering corpse glaring accusingly at me, whispering promises of all the horrible things he'll do once he gets his hands on me in the spirit world. In fact, he's standing right behind you brother," warned Ursa as her long hair began to float eerily, her bending energy overflowing through every shaft as the flames spiraled around her.

The hair stood up on the back of Iroh's neck as he fought the urge to peek behind him. He dared not take his eyes off the She-Bear for an instant. "Perhaps he's waiting to see if I'll send you to his side. Would you have my husband and daughter haunt me as well general?" demanded the Fire Lady with bitter accusation, the blaze in her hand flaring so high it nearly licked against the ceiling.

The thought crossed Iroh's mind that coming here alone and in secret may not have been such a good idea.

***


	11. Ursa's Will

Chapter 11  
**Ursa's Will**

"P-perhaps you should put out your flames sister," suggested Iroh warily as he was forced to take a step back by the angry heat radiating from Ursa. "They truly appear to aggravate you."

"I'm fully aware of that!" snapped the She-Bear as she waved her arms angrily, the blaze spreading between her hands. Iroh watched nervously as the flames came dangerously close to brushing against the walls. He tried to speak up, but the Fire Lady was working herself up into a full rant.

"You think just because I'm mad that I'm not aware of what's happening to me? That I live in this depressing darkness because I want too?! That I couldn't feel the obsessive thoughts, the paranoia and hallucinations growing worse as the sun rose and the solstice approached? T-hat I didn't… make the connection… *gasp*… with the burnt out depression… and fretful nightmares…*sob*… that would fall over me as the sun set… and winter came on?" cried Ursa as she collapsed to her knees. Despite her flames not having died all the way down yet, Iroh stepped forward and cradled her sobbing head to his chest. "If only I would lose my mind, I wouldn't be forced to watch it slip away bit by bit, living in dread of the inevitable abyss before me."

"I'm sorry Ursa…" whispered Iroh as he tried to comfort the Fire Lady, gently stroking her hair, "If I'd known it was this bad… this is all my fault for fearing the truth of what happened that night… I should have sought it out immediately. Instead I selfishly waited until I needed you, without considering how cruel my request would be. I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about brother?! This is all my fault," sobbed Ursa. "I'm the one who five years ago put the wrong sibling on the throne."

"That's enough Ursa, I don't blame you for my father's death."

"No, you don't understand! I knew it was wrong!" declared Ursa desperately. "That you were meant to succeed your father and would make the better ruler. Yet I rebelled against the natural order! I wanted Ozai to look at me again with that spark we had when we were first courting, instead of cold contempt. To show him that I wasn't as weak as he thought, that I could be as strong and ruthless as him! If my husband's a monster, then I am too!"

"That's enough Ursa."

"Everything that's happening now is the result of my sin! Your being denied your birthright! My husband having the power to do such horrible things! Zuko's suffering at his father's hands! Azula being corrupted because I haven't been there for her! I'm a horrible mother! And now you're all having to risk your lives to try and correct my mistake, while I'm too cowardly to…"

"That's enough!" growled Iroh as he tightly pressed the Fire Lady to himself. They stayed like that for a long while, Ursa crying herself out as the general's silent tears joined her.

"Iroh?" asked the Fire Lady as she finally wiped her eyes and pushed herself away from her brother-in-law.

"Yes Ursa?"

"Please kill me," whispered the Fire Lady as she bowed her head. "I don't have long left anyway. Not a night goes by without the suicidal thoughts. If I can't even hold it together now, I'm only fooling myself that I'll be able to resist the comet's overwhelming power." Iroh's eyes widened in pity and horror as the final terrible implication of his sister's condition hit him. "So many times I've wished to set this whole prison alight and end it all. I'm afraid of what I'll do when I truly lose control. I don't want to die alone. Please brother, let me die while I can still remember who I am," begged Ursa as she looked up at Iroh with pleading eyes.

"Ursa, you need to get out of this place," declared the general. "It's making you sick. Like the dragon that continually chases and consumes its own tail. I too was like that after Lu Ten died. We had argued last we met. I was running the siege slow and cautiously, slowly grinding Ba Sing Se out. He and the younger officers wanted to take a more aggressive line of attack, one which offered more opportunities for glory."

"If I'd only known that was going to be the last time we saw each other… there were so many stupid things I wished I hadn't said, so many important things I wish I'd had the chance to tell him, but never will. The last chance to see who knows how many of your family is rapidly approaching sister. There is no telling if any of us will be left amongst the living when this is all over. You'll regret it if you run from them and your destiny."

"I'll also regret what will happen if I see them again," replied Ursa bitterly, her shoulder's slumping and flames dying out as it became apparent Iroh would not give her the release she sought. The hallway and the Fire Lady's heart fell back into darkness.

"Sometimes there are no good choices," replied Iroh as he placed a sympathetic hand on the Fire Lady's shoulder. "If it is honorable death you seek, there is no better place than the battlefield. I hope though that once you get out of this cursed place, once you get back into Agni's light and see your children again, your sickness will weaken and you'll be able to remember what you have to live for. When the comet comes we could restrain you and have Ty Lee block your bending. Come Ursa, let us leave this dark haunted place," said Iroh as he offered her his hand.

"Once I decide what to do, I will do it my way general. It is not your place to command me" replied Ursa as she stood back up, coolly ignoring his outstretched hand. "I have one last request. Do not tell your companions, especially Zuko, about any of this. I want him to remember me as his gentle mother, not as what I've become. And it would be foolish right before such a crucial battle to burden him with worries about this worthless woman. His mind must be clear and free from distraction if he is to lead his troops to victory."

Iroh opened his mouth to protest, but the Fire Lady's implacable bearing dissuaded him. "…Very well my Lady, if that is your will," assented the general with a formal bow, the sense of fate's inexorable hand pressing heavily down upon him.

"It is," affirmed Ursa.

"I will leave a boat here for you then. If you decide to take part in the coming struggle, you will need to leave by nightfall," informed Iroh. "As we speak, the combined fleets of the Earth Rebels and Northern Water Tribe are sailing towards the Fire Nation."

"They'll never get past the blockade," replied Ursa dismissively. Fire Nation naval supremacy had been the defining factor of the war since day one. Enemy troops hadn't defiled the Homeland in over a century. Every schoolchild knew that the blockade was impenetrable and would keep them safe.

"That was true up to a half year ago," explained Iroh. "Since then the tides of war have not been kind to our once invincible navy. Believing our supply of ships was more than adequate, seven months ago our steel shipments and shipyards were repurposed for the construction of war balloons. This wouldn't have been a problem, except right after words the Fire Nation suffered it's most devastating naval defeat ever."

"Admiral Jhao led the largest combined fleet this world has seen in an ambitious attempt to defeat both the Avatar and the Northern Water Tribe. He made the mistake of killing the Moon Spirit however. Her consort, the Ocean Spirit, was so stricken with grief and rage that he manifested with the Avatar and wiped out the invading force."

"Divine judgment, is it?" mused Ursa.

"Indeed, our nation's hubris has grown such that we would challenge even the sacred gods. It was at the moment I saw Jhao threaten and kill the Moon Spirit before my eyes that I realized just how much the war was corrupting our country, and that I became willing to side with the Avatar against what my country had become." revealed Iroh.

"Before the siege of the north, the Northern Water Tribe left us largely alone, only attacking if we strayed into their waters. Now they hunt our ships and raid the coastal settlements. They even destroyed a shipyard as far south as Mutai. One would be hard pressed to find a member of their tribe who didn't lose friend or family to Jhao's assault; they even lost their princess, the chieftain's only daughter. While our navy is strong, there are few things more fearsome than having to fight waterbenders out for vengeance on the high seas."

"Though their numbers aren't enough to pose an existential threat to the navy, it has made the once largely subdued waters dangerous again, requiring increased escorts for our transport ships," explained the general, falling comfortably into his old role of analyzing military situations. "The need to secure Ba Sing Se and put down rebellions, which have increased markedly since the news spread that the Avatar was alive and had invaded the Fire Nation, is spreading the Navy thin as it works overtime to try and redeploy an equally thin spread Army to the hot spots. After a hundred years on the offense, our nation has grown complacent about it's defense, dismissing the possibility of significant enemy forces reaching our shores. Thus many ships have been temporarily reassigned from the blockade to help with escort and transport duty."

"With the fall of the Earth Kingdom, _their_ ships were freed from bureaucratic red tape and the need to play defense. In some ways, the fall of the capital may have been the best thing that could have happened for the Earth Kingdom's resistance," opined the Fire Nation general. "I always respected the bravery and skill of the soldier I fought against, but their generals were often uncreative, using the same predictable defensive maneuvers as our archives indicated their forefathers had. Often their literal fathers, as many of the generals had gotten their positions through family or political connections rather than any distinguishing personal merit. I was once able to anticipate the entire course of a battle when I realized I was fighting the son of a general I'd defeated twenty years earlier, and that he was making all the same mistakes as his father," chuckled Iroh.

"With the collapse of the centralized military command, new blood with innovative tactics has been rising to the top of the resistance. No longer able to fight traditional pitched battles against us that play to our strengths, the Earth Benders have discovered their abilities are well suited for hit and run guerrilla warfare. Traveling underground, they can launch devastating surprise attacks from below, and then disappear back into the earth before they're surrounded. The expeditions that try to track them down in the mountainous regions they operate from often disappear without a trace. These new breed of Earth Rebels can still field six fleets, while Waterbender's have a natural advantage fighting at sea. The weakened blockade will be hard pressed to withstand their combined assault," concluded Iroh.

"Even if the blockade can be defeated, is it really wise to invite foreign forces into our territory general? Especially those who are little more than irregular terrorists?" asked the Fire Lady with a raised eyebrow and tone that made it clear exactly what _she_ thought of the whole distasteful matter. "Like an obnoxious cousin between jobs, they have an unpleasant tendency to take things that don't belong to them and overstay their welcome."

"Hopefully it will not come to that. The naval engagement is a feint; rounding the western air temple's coast, it will threaten to land in the northwest, drawing the main army. Instead of supporting the landing, we intend to secretly rendezvous with our forces already in the Fire Nation and launch a coup from the south. If all goes according to plan, we should have taken the capital before the fleets arrive on our coast, and they will not need to invade," offered up Iroh.

" "If all goes according to plan", how reassuring," muttered the Fire Lady. "And if your coup fails, you can always try to regroup with the invading army and launch your specialty, a siege on the capital. You were the only Fire Nation commander whom ever had the patience and attention to detail to properly run those," noted Ursa.

"You may be too clever for your own good though general. Because of the blockade, the Homeland has never felt the need to be heavily garrisoned. With the army being spread thin, I imagine this is even more so. If both yours and the Imperial forces weaken each other enough, your "allies" may find it difficult to resist the temptation of taking the capital for themselves, regardless of who is on the throne. It would certainly be an ironic swap of capitals," observed the Fire Lady darkly.

"Your sagacious advice will be kept well in mind my lady," replied Iroh thoughtfully. "I hope you will consider a position as a royal councilor after the war is over. It is truly a shame that such a formidable noblewoman never officially became Fire Lady. The loss was our country's."

"The flattery is appreciated general," said Ursa with a slight note of amusement. "But a mad murderess guilty of treason would dishonor any council she sat on. Thank you for the news from the front; it will be taken under consideration. You may take your leave now," dismissed the Fire Lady with a wave of her hand as she turned away. "Farewell."

"Until we meet again then, my lady. May Agni shine his mercy on you," said Iroh, trying to keep his courtly formalities from cracking. While it might be a formal parting prayer, Iroh meant it with all the strong emotion welling up in his heart.

***

Next:

_"Sometimes there are no good choices. Everything that's happening now is the result of my sin. Five years ago I put the wrong sibling on the throne. This is my cruel test of atonement. I won't repeat my mistake, even if…_

Chapter 12: Gotterdammerung's Pyre


	12. Gotterdammerung’s Pyre

Chapter 12  
**Gotterdammerung's Pyre**

"_Indeed, I baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and Fire."  
-Luke 3:16_

"I'm sorry Azula, maybe if I'd been around to be a proper mother to you, you're Father wouldn't have been able to make you so thoroughly in his ruthless image, and it wouldn't have had to end this way," apologized Ursa as she worked her fingers, calling the surrounding blaze to her and her kin, intensifying the blazing funeral pyre with the formidable bending power born of Avatar Roku's bloodline. _Come purging flames, cleanse my families sins!_

For the first time in her life, the Fire Princess screamed in pain as the inferno engulfed her. She tried to struggle, but her mother's embrace had become strong as a steel platypus-bear trap, pinning her arms. Azula's fingers twitched frantically, trying to repulse the flames. Ursa had greater leverage to bend with, but Azula's adrenaline fueled desperation caught her off guard. Enough of the blaze's strength was dissipated outward that they weren't instantly incinerated. Which was not a mercy. Third degree burns don't actually hurt because they destroy the nerves. Severe sustained second degree burns on the other hand are one of the most horrible pains imaginable. "The less you fight our fate, the quicker it will be over," advised Ursa, using her leverage as she began to overwhelm her daughter's defenses…

*

"Squad C, there's too much pressure building up on the far side, we need another drain tube 8 moles down! Squad A, the magma's getting too close, you need to get out of that tunnel and seal it off!" bellowed Toph.

"What the blazes does she mean by "far side" and 8 moles?" demanded an Imperial guard.

"Opposite of the harbor, and the length of a badger mole" panted Aang, his body covered with sweat as he strained his bending power to try and hold back the volcano. "Toph, this isn't working; they can't keep up with your senses and lack of understandable directions."

"Well _excuse me_ that you guys are as blind as mewling newborn pussycats!"

"Calm down Toph," Aang said as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I've got a plan," assured the Avatar as he then moved his hand up to the little earthbender's forehead. Toph blushed as she felt his bending chi attune to her third eye. While Aang had learned Toph's technique of "seeing" through the earth, his skill was no where near as great as hers. Attuning to the blind girl's earthbending, he began to see as she did, all the way down through previously unfathomable depths of rock to the rivers of magma that flowed through the volcano's heart. He could feel where the pressure was building behind that lava, straining like an angry komodo rhino against the solid rock that confined it, threatening to burst through. For a moment Aang was struck by the breathtaking view Toph had of the mountain's awesome and terrible fury.

Sadly there was little time for wonderment. Using Toph's senses as a reference, Aang earthbent three cross section maps of the mountain into the stone around them. He etched in all the tunnels they'd already bent to redirect the magma, their foe represented with squiggly lines. "Okay everyone! Toph will use these maps to coordinate our efforts and so we can all see what she's seeing!"

"Waaiit, so now on top of fighting a volcano and trying to coordinate you hopeless bitching batbrains you _also_ want me to maintain a real time 3D map?"

"What else would I expect from the world's greatest earthbender?" replied Aang with a firm pat on her shoulder.

"…Allright, you heard the man! Listen up dirtbags, and don't take your eyes off those map, cuz we're going to kick this volcano's ass so hard it pukes lava all the way through to Haruville!"

Aang smiled at how readily the little twelve year old took charge of the situation, bossing around the imposing Imperial Guards and stoic Dai Li Agents. They were working in teams of two, one Firebender and one Earthbender, combining their powers to try and pacify the deadly molten earth beneath them. The Avatar hoped such cooperation was an auspicious sign of things to come. Still, something seemed off about how the volcano was behaving.

The Avatar wasn't the only one who sensed it. "Something's not right with this stupid volcano; we should be winning with all the bending power we've got," complained Toph as she finished redirecting a magma stream into the drain tube Squad B had opened out into the sea. "It's almost like the volcano is fighting back."

"It is, I can feel it," said Aang as he extended his senses beyond earth and fire. "The volcano is overflowing with fury…! It's Ozai! His rage is fueling the volcano!"

"What?! Isn't that bastard dead!" exclaimed Toph in disbelief.

"Yes, I'm sure of it now. His spirit is still here though, deep down in the volcano's heart," declared Aang as he placed his hand on the ground, extending his senses into the spirit realm. "I'm going in Toph! Watch my body."

"Woah, you're going to fight the Fire Lord's vengeful spirit in the heart of a raging volcano?"

"yeah, don't worr-" began Aang, trying to hide his nervousness for Toph's benefit. He'd never tried to fight in spirit form before, and had no idea if it was even possible or how he was going to stop Ozai.

"That's fucking awesome Twinkle Toes!" declared Toph as she gave Aang an encouraging punch to the arm. "Too bad I can't sense spirits with my feet; I'd love to watch that rumble. Knock em so dead even his ancestors on the other side won't recognize what's left of him!"

"Thanks Toph," smiled Aang weakly as he rubbed his throbbing arm. Sitting down in the lotus position, he tried to slip quickly into the trance that would let his spirit leave his body. Everyone in the capital was depending on him now, especially his friends. Toph, Momo, Zuko, Sokka, Suki, and last but not least, Katara's face all flashed before his mind's eye, before he finally let go of all earthly thoughts and slipped free from his body.

*

_We need to get out of here fast!_ Thought Katara as she rode a wave of water toward the center of the cavern, the wave extinguishing all the flames in her way. The catacombs were turning into a death trap, and such was the water bender's hurry to escape that she hadn't stopped to treat her wounds. As much as she didn't want to face Azula right now, Katara needed someone who knew the quickest route to the surface.

Up ahead, Katara spotted two figures. An uncharacteristically wild looking Azula was being confronted by another woman who seemed familiar. Katara dismounted her wave, brining part of it into a defensive wetsuit complete with water whips, and the rest into a ring orbiting around her. She was hoping to avoid a fight, but as unstable as the Fire Princess looked, it was best to be ready for anything and approach cautiously.

Just as Katara was about to call out, the older woman embraced Azula, and Katara remembered where she'd seen her before. She was the woman from the family portraits at Zuko's beach house! That would make her Azula's mother. Katara let her breath out in relief. She had thought Zuko's mother was dead. He'd certainly be overjoyed to see her again. And if anyone could calm Azula down, surely it'd be her mother.

The water bender suppressed a chuckle as the Princess protested at her mother's embrace, trying to squirm free. _Aw, does the Fire Bitch think she's too cool for hugs from mom?_ Thought Katara with amusement as Azula stiffened up, then slowly blushed at something her mother whispered. The water bender still had her sense of urgency, but she felt it would be wrong to interrupt Azula so soon; this might be just what the Fire Princess needed. Katara smiled as Azula visibly relaxed into her mother's embrace, and even began to awkwardly return it. Then everything went to hell.

Katara first sensed the inrushing flames hit the back of her water ring, easily overwhelming it with the Fire Lady's power. There was no time to even turn around. Acting on battle honed instincts, Katara pulled her water in and turned her wet suit into a narrow wave the width of her body that she struck backward with, slicing the onrushing flames apart as she spun around to face her attacker. The mass of flames rushed by on either side of her with a roaring *whoosh*, toward their true targets. _Wait, aren't all these flames heading toward-"_ And then the water bender heard the cry which she'd never forget; Azula's scream of pain and betrayal.

_"No!"_ thought Katara in horror as she spun back around. Sure enough, there was Azula and her mother burning in the center of the flames. She didn't want to believe a mother could do such a thing, but Ursa was clearly the one calling the blazing inferno in as she pinned her thrashing daughter. Katara had to thin out what was left of her water ring and arc it in front of her to deflect the flames that whirled back out as the Fire Princess desperately bent them away. Despite Azula's efforts however, it was clear the She-Bear had the upper hand.

"Traitor!" roared Azula as she struggled like a wild animal, gnashing her teeth as she beat her head against Ursa. Her mother remained implacable, incrementally intensifying the blaze against her daughter's resistance. The sensation of her flesh beginning to melt finally broke the Fire Princesses' feral snarls into pained whimpering, "Stop it Mother! Please stop!" begged Azula, hoping there was some shred of motherly mercy she could exploit in Ursa. "You're killing me!"

"I saw it Azula, the way you reveled in killing Iroh," revealed her Mother with a firm edge of parental disapproval as she tightened her grip. The glaze cleared from Ursa's eyes and she fixed them upon her daughter, filling her with fear. She could see the stark final judgment of her end reflected in that fiery gaze. "And you almost killed your brother likewise, and you _will_ do so if given another chance, now that you've awakened that ambition and sadism that was always in you to the seductive call of bloodlust. As your mother I have to take responsibility," declared the Fire Lady with sad finality as she prepared to crush through her daughter's defenses with her final strike. "May Agni shine his mercy on our unworthy souls."

Mercy came, not from above, but from Katara's remaining water, dousing the two women and knocking them to the ground. Her water largely evaporating as it and the flames annihilated each other, Katara knew that using up her bending element left her in a very dangerous situation. Both of the royal fire benders seemed dangerously unstable, and the water bender doubted she could fight either of them off with only the water in her flask against their amply available bending fuel if they decided to turn on her. Retreat didn't' look like an option either as she didn't have enough water left to get past the surrounding conflagration. If they killed each other or refused to help her escape, she was going to be the one burning alive. Still, Katara had never considered for even an instant letting two people burn to death in front of her.

Taking advantage of her Mother's surprise, Azula broke free from her grip. Rolling away, the Fire Princess extended her bending senses into all the surrounding flames so she'd be able to detect the moment Ursa tried to manipulate any of them. "Let's see how well you fight without treacherous surprise on your side mother," spat Azula, her voice dripping with furious venom as she went into a defensive crouch, paranoidly bending all the surrounding flames away from herself, except those in the direction the water had struck from; these she whipped toward her Mother.

Calmly standing up, Ursa reached out toward the flames Azula was attacking with, and with a dismissive wave of her hand grounded them right before they could strike. With her other hand she channeled a fire whip and lashed it out towards her daughter.

"Stop fighting you two! Lava's starting to fill the lower end of the cavern! We need to get out of here now!" yelled Katara as Azula leapt clear of her Mother's lash, landing near the water bender. Ignoring Katara, Azula landed on her hands, swinging her legs around in a sweeping kick that sent an arc of blue flame toward Ursa. Dropping to one knee, the Fire Lady struck outward with her palms, sending her flames racing along the ground toward Azula as they plowed through and broke the center of her attack.

Diving to different sides, both girls barely dodged the blazingly fast counterattack. Ursa wasn't finished with it however. Her attack had been along a section of wooden planks, which were now ablaze. Striking fully outward with both palms, she sent the segments of the flames slightly ahead of the two girls rushing out to meet them.

_Even Father could never attack this fast!_ Thought the Fire Princess with alarm. The flame was no longer directly Ursa's, and was now thinned out enough that Azula just managed to force her own bending chi in and counterbend the flames to either side of her with a sweeping motion of her hands as she landed into a deep backstance. Katara had no such way to defend herself however, nor had she expected to be attacked so directly. She could only turn her head and stumble in surprise as the flames sped toward her.

Ursa clenched her right fist, halting the blaze just before it struck Katara. "This is family business water child, do not interfere," warned the She-Bear as she stood back up to her full commanding height, leaning slightly to the side to avoid the flame bolt Azula fired at her.

"How can you do this to your daughter?!" demanded Katara as she got back to her feet, refusing to be intimidated. Ursa shot the water bender a displeased look, feeling no need to give an accounting to impertinent outsiders.

"It's because she loves her "precious" Zuko so much," explained Azula, her voice mockingly sweet, as she tried to control the feelings of rage and betrayal consuming her. It was hard to think three moves ahead of her enemies when all she seemed to able to focus on was how much this woman had hurt her and how much she wanted to pay her back a hundredfold.

Katara felt a chill go through her as the Fire Princess gave out a bitter laugh. Azula looked like she was in bad shape and getting worse, in more ways than one. While both her and her mother showed the signs of their severe burning in their tattered clothes, singed hair, and burnt flesh, the contrast between them was striking. Despite her injuries, Ursa looked every inch the imperial Fire Lady she never officially became, stoically bearing her suffering with regal grace.

Azula on the other hand was unable to hide the intense fury and pain that wracked her body. Hunched over as she took in sharp ragged breaths, her whole body was trembling. Lifting her head up by nape of her skull, the Fire Princesses normally beautiful face was marred by an alternating creepy sneer and dark scowl. Her wild eyes shifted paranoidly between her mother and the water witch.

"Yes, she loved him so much that she was willing to sacrifice her honor and commit treasonous murder for his sake. Was knowing that Zuko lived because of your sacrifice enough to console you during your long exile Mother? Of course, if Zuko were to die today, suddenly that sacrifice and all those sad lonely years you suffered alone will have been for nothing, won't they?" threatened Azula, a cruel smile crossing her face as she finally found a weak spot in Mother's so far impenetrable armor. "What's a little more treason and murder of family weighed against that? You're the one who killed Father, weren't you," accused the Fire Princess as her eyes narrowed to hard golden slits.

"Would it change anything," stated Ursa flatly.

"No," affirmed the Fire Princess with a dark smile as she shifted into a ready stance. "One of us isn't leaving here alive."

"I knew when I decided to break the terms of my banishment and return to the capital what the consequence would be," replied Ursa fatalistically as she took an aggressive stance. "I've been ready to wake from this dream for what's seemed liked ages."

"um, guys… lava filling cavern… need to get to higher ground… you can get back to killing each other after we… …. you crazies aren't paying attention to a word I'm saying, are you?" sighed Katara as she clutched her forehead with doomed exasperation.

***

Next:

Fighting externally against her formidable Mother and internally against her own precarious mental state, Azula faces her most dangerous and difficult battle yet. In over her head, her motives questioned by both sides, Katara must decide what or whom to fight for. Can she avert a tragedy, or will she help create or become one?

Lucky Chapter 13  
On the Brink


	13. On the Brink

Chapter 13  
**On the Brink**

Mother and daughter stared each other down. Azula's glare was full of smoldering rage and sadistic hate. Ursa did not flinch from it, returning her own steady determined gaze, though there was a sadness that weighed down upon her brow. The two started with surprise at the loud *crack* as Katara suddenly snapped her water whip between them.

"Listen up you crazy bitches!!" bellowed a pissed off Katara in as commanding of a voice as she could muster. The two royal fire benders turned toward her, clearly irritated at the intrusion on their private family feud. _At least that got their attention_, thought Katara, trying to not let her nervousness show. _Wish I'd thought of what I was going to do with it._

"I thought I warned you not to interfere," stated Ursa icily as she narrowed her eyes at the rude child who'd addressed her so disrespectfully. "I won't repeat myself." Katara could see that the She-Bear was sizing her up, all the while monitoring Azula with her periphery vision. The Fire Lady was certainly not a woman to be trifled with. Her displeased glare instantly made Katara regret her strong choice of words, but she couldn't back down now.

"You might be ready to die, but I'm not," shot back Katara, addressing both mother and daughter. "Which means one of you ingrates is going to help me past these flames and back to the surface."

There was an awkward moment of silence. _Yeah, don't rush over yourselves to get us out of this hellhole, _muttered Katara under her breath. With no volunteers forthcoming, the waterbender had to decide herself.

"Azula," said Katara sharply as she turned toward the Fire Princess, "You're letting your emotions get the better of you. I know it must have hurt horribly when you're mother betrayed you, and you want revenge for that, but is fighting to the death in such a dangerous situation really what the calculating Princess who's always in control do? Let's withdraw to safer ground for now. I'll cover you," assured Katara as she began moving cautiously toward Azula.

While the Fire Princess might be her enemy and Ursa a potential ally, after seeing what the Fire Lady had done to Azula, her righteous ire was raised against the Mother and her sympathy aroused for the more obviously suffering daughter. Youth's justice dangerously blind.

"You think I need your help witch?" growled Azula in warning as she suspiciously eyed the approaching water bender.

"Yes. You admitted yourself that you haven't been able to control your feelings since I screwed up your heart chakra. I need to take responsibility for what I did to you, and that means keeping you from doing something you'll regret when you lose control to your emotions," explained Katara as she strode more confidently toward Azula, letting her be the wary undecided one.

Katara could practically hear the rusty creaking of gears as Azula turned over her words. She didn't want to hear it from the Witch, but the Fire Princess knew something wasn't right with her head. She used to be able to read people with ease, instantly having the confidence that she knew what they were going to do and why. So why was she so unsure about the damn Water Witch?

Looking back, it had all started when Mai and Ty Lee betrayed her, putting a deep crack in her perfect self image. She'd been able to hold it together, but those cracks had spread when the Witch fucked her up. Her Father's death and Mother's betrayal had been more than enough to break through the cracked dam of her heart and mind, sweeping Azula away in the ensuing deluge. Now when she tried to think it felt like fighting to swim upstream. It would be so easy to let herself go under those waves crashing against the banks of her sanity, to lose herself in that torrential flow. But that would be losing, and Azula hated to lose.

*

Losing his sense of mass, Aang's spirit slowly descend into the rock beneath him. Passing through solid objects felt unsettling enough, but traveling in the unnatural direction of straight down made it even worse. As his tattooed head slipped beneath the ground and darkness engulfed him, Aang started to panic. He couldn't see anything! In each direction there was only a horrible infinite blackness. It felt like he'd been buried alive. Aang tried to take a sharp breathe in, but his lungs did not fill with air. Flailing about wildly, he tried to bend the entombing rocks away. They refused to yield. "Toph, help me! I can't breathe!"

_Don't be such a pussy Twinkle Toes. I thought I taught you to fight blind! _His earth sifu's voice upbraiding him, Aang instinctively tried to plant his feet and arms firmly against the rocks so he could see with earthbending. It did no good however, the unending darkness remained impenetrable. From Toph's training he was used to not seeing anything, but combined with not being able to _feel_ anything it was too much. It felt like if he didn't immediately get out of this senseless dark place that extended in every direction he'd lose his mind.

Aang tried to surface. A nauseating vertigo washed over him as he realized that in his thrashing he'd lost track of which direction was up. The fear flashed through his mind that he might be heading in the wrong direction, deeper into the earth. His spirit could wander forever, lost in this infinite pitch black hell! In fact, with no reference, Aang couldn't even tell if he was actually moving, or once more just futilely flailing about.

Casting his mind back to his breath training, Aang tried to center himself with a slow deep breath. But the lack of comforting air only reinforced the suffocating void that closed in on him from all sides. The Avatar let out a scream as the darkness overwhelmed him.

*

Forcing her mind to focus, Azula tried to puzzle out the Witch. Her action's didn't make sense. If she'd been in the water bender's place, she would have let her enemies burn, saving her water to escape past the flames. It was foolish to depend on others, let alone an enemy to help you. _I can't even depend on my own childhood friends or family, and yet the Witch would depend on me?!_

Perhaps Katara was not confident in her ability to find her way out of the catacombs. Yes, that must be it. If the Witch knew where the exit was, her path of escape wouldn't have brought her here. The Fire Princess of course had the layout of all the tunnels and caverns memorized, but it was an amateurish mistake to assume others were as competent as oneself, and Azula chided herself for almost making it. Spirits, she really was slipping.

So the Witch was using her. Good. Azula understood using people. She could work with that. The Witch needed a Firebender and someone who knew the way back to the surface. Katara was just selfishly trying to save her own skin. There was nothing more too it.

Except it didn't add up at all, thought Azula in frustration as she bit at a nail. Why hadn't the Witch teamed up with Ursa to finish her off! It's what she would have done if she'd been the Witch. Couldn't Katara see that her Mother was stronger, that her chance of survival would be greater?! It… didn't… make… any… blazing… sense!

Was the water bender just trying to gain her trust so she could backstab her when her guard was down, like everyone else? Azula wanted to believe it; it would make things much simpler. But the part of her brain that wasn't taken over by paranoia whispered that Katara wasn't like that. That her apparent concern for the Fire Princesses' welfare was genuine. Unable to identify the unfamiliar feeling this realization evoked, Azula tried to push it away so she could focus on how best to exploit the Witch's foolish compassion.

"Do you really think you can hold me off child?" asked Ursa with a raised eyebrow as Katara took up a position at Azula's left flank (close enough to guard her without providing cover for a surprise lightening strike) and turned toward the She-Bear.

"Care to try me?" asked Katara as she placed one hand on her water flask and twisted it away from Ursa, her other hand hovering a few inches away, ready to draw her water out in one fluid strike. "You may be strong, but I'm no slouch when it comes to bending either. I've fought and beat plenty of firebenders, including your daughter, [_there you go with that lie again Witch[_ while I doubt a sheltered royal like you has had much opportunity to test yourself against Southern Water Style. And I don't think Zuko would care about you so much if you were the type to ruthlessly kill one of his friends just because they were in your way," gambled Katara. She failed to notice Azula's slight twitch at her brother's name.

"Yes, you're one of Zuko's friends, _so why are you aiding the greatest remaining threat to him?_" questioned the Fire Lady intently.

"Because your daughter showed me the kind of person I could become. And I don't want to become someone who doesn't care or looks the other way while others suffer and die, even if they are my enemies. I'm sure there will be thousands of people in the Fire Nation unhappy with Zuko taking his father's throne. Are we supposed to kill them all as well?" countered Katara heatedly.

_That's right. She's Zuko's ally. In the end she'll betray me for him, just like the rest._

*

"Lord Zuko," reported General Lian Chi. Unlike many of the military officers, the older than he looked Lian Chi sported no ridiculous facial hair, preferring to go clean shaven, though he made up for it with his long hair in back. Like his liege, his hair was unbound by the traditional topknot this treasonous day. It had seemed appropriate. "We've raised your flag over the palace and news of your Father's death has spread to the remaining enemy forces."

"I see," said Zuko as he sat up in the infirmary bed. "Have they surrendered yet General?"

"No. They've stopped attacking, but are falling back rather than giving up. I recommend we press our offense and wipe out those who continue to refuse surrender. If we don't act now they'll be able to regroup with each other and dig in their defenses," warned Lian Chi, the torchlight flickering coldly over his figure. He stood about a half foot taller than the Fire Prince, though his physique was only a bit more muscular than Zuko's. The only thing marring his neat appearance were the soot and bloodstains on his armor.

"With your Father's defeat, the mantel of Fire Lord passes to you Zuko" advised Jeong Jeong. "Your actions now will set the starting tone for either a merciful or ruthless reign."

"I hardly think it's an Admirals… excuse me… a _deserters_ place to offer advice on army operations," retorted Lian Chi as he disdainfully eyed the ex-Admiral.

"My council is offered as a member of the White Lotus," replied Jeong Jeong as he straightened the collar on his Grand Master uniform.

"Oh right, as a member of a transnational secret society that considers itself above loyalty to our own nation, that's _soo_ much better," replied Lian Chi sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "Need I remind you Lord Zuko that your sister's whereabouts are still unknown. The Imperial Forces are surely waiting to see if she'll show up, and if she does, they'll be all too willing to resume fighting at her command. We must wipe them out now while we have the upper hand!" demanded the General as he clenched his fist.

"Such an attack will cost many lives on both sides. And if your sister is already dead or returns captured by the Avatar's forces, then those lives will have been sacrificed pointlessly," counseled Jeong Jeong. "If we wait, the Avatar and his forces may return soon. Faced with their renowned power, our brothers and sisters on the other side will surely put out their flames and surrender with out the need for further bloodshed."

"And if Azula returns first? If the Avatar and his allies turn out to be the ones dead or captured? Why take that risk when we have the advantage? Just give the order my Lord, and I will smite those who refuse to acknowledge your victory!"

Zuko clutched the bed sheet in frustration. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He didn't know what was the right choice. Both arguments sounded compelling, either looked like it could easily turn out horribly wrong. If only Iroh was still alive and in charge. He'd instantly know what to do with out any pathetic agonizing. Heck, he'd probably have been able to single-handedly make the holdouts surrender with his imposing command and power. Zuko felt so weak and useless in comparison, stuck away from the front in this wretched make shift infirmary while his friends and soldier were out their fighting and dying.

Just then a solider burst in. "My Lord, I've just received word from some of the survivors rescued from the Catacombs."

"Do they have any word on the Avatar, Toph, or Katara?" asked Zuko, hoping he'd be saved from having to make the decision. Toph was a one man army. Or woman, nah, scratch that thought Zuko, man suits her better. Zuko didn't really consider Aang all that tough, but his reputation as the Avatar and the one who killed Ozai would be enough to make their defeat seem real. And Katara, well, if the rumors about what she had done were true, she might just be the most feared of them all…

"No my Lord. It's about your Mother. There are reports that Lady Ursa was seen fighting your late Father with the Avatar!"

Zuko's eyes widened as if he'd seen a ghost. Leaping to his feet and completely ignoring the pain in his side, he grabbed and shook the solider. "My Mother?! Here?! Is she safely out of the Catacombs?!"

"I-I don't know my Lord!"

"Please, my Lord, you shouldn't be moving with your injuries!" begged the field surgeon as Zuko tossed aside the soldier. Paying no heed, the young Prince took off, the palace rumbling ominously as he sprinted away.

"Zuko! It's too dangerous to go back into the Catacombs," yelled Jeong Jeong to the Prince's back.

"My Lord! Your orders!" begged General Lian Chi.

There was only one thought on Zuko's mind however, _I'm coming mother, please don't disappear again._

*

"So you put your desire to maintain your righteous purity above your duty. You're as selfish and immature as the Avatar. You think just because you're a child you should be allowed to keep your hands clean? The moment you chose to go to war it was too late for that!" Reprimanded Ursa. "And your sophomoric question shows all the lack of detail one would expect from a child. If you want to avoid people suffering and dying, then don't set my country up for civil war by leaving two claimants to the throne. My country especially can't afford such disorder now, with the barbarians massing at our shores. Azula is in a power hungry class of danger all of her own, and she won't care how many corpses she needs to ruthlessly trample over to realize her ambition."

"Don't sugarcoat it for us Mother. Why don't you just come out and say what you really think; I'm a monster who doesn't deserve to live!"

"I've never thought either of those things Azula," said Ursa, hurt.

"Oh right, you just betrayed your daughter's trust and are trying to incinerate me because you love me oh so much," replied the Fire Princess sarcastically. "Actions speak louder than your lying treacherous words, Mother!" shouted Azula as she fired off a huge flame blast. _That's right. She couldn't believe what her mother said. Especially not _that_._ The She-Bear brought her own ignited chi out as a frontal barrier, exploding outward as it countered her daughter's attack.

"What are you doing Azula! We're supposed to be getting out of here! Or talking you're mother out of this! Or... well whatever the plan was I'm pretty sure it didn't involve throwing fireballs first!" cried Katara as she turned toward the Fire Princess, her hopes for a peaceful resolution going up in smoke.

"Shut up Witch. Mother's made her intentions to kill me clear," said Azula as ten flame darts shot out from Ursa's finger tips and behind the cover of the explosion. Azula tried to dive out of their way, but she'd been pushed flat footed when she dug in to maintain her balance from the back blast, and was too slow to dodge them all. She cringed in pain as a few of the bolts struck her.

The careless Water Witch however had once again been caught off guard. The Fire Princess heard Katara cry out in pain as two flame darts struck exactly where they'd been aimed; one on the back of the palm that had been hovering over her flask, the other in between her knee joint, causing her to collapse as she clutched her burnt hand in pain.

_So after all her warnings she's still coddling the "water child"_, thought Azula with disapproval, noting that unlike the bolts fired at her, none of those shot at Katara had been aimed for vital points. Still, Katara wouldn't be able to protect her for a short moment, which meant Mother intended to try and do something aggressive enough to end the fight in that instant. In other words, a final finishing strike. She'd also been forced to dive away from the water bender, meaning her mother intended to avoid collateral damage. _Letting me read your intentions by your foolish compassion will cost you dearly Mother. Only the ruthless survive._ She knew where Ursa was going to attack from next. The cover from the explosion and Katara's inability to interfere worked both ways. Rolling to her feet, Azula started to generate lightning.

***

Next:

Chapter 14 Wasser, Wider als Blut  
I will be very impressed if anyone gets the allusion

A/N: So what would you decide if you had to make Zuko's decision? It's an interesting moral dilemma, since there's no clear right answer and the stakes are high.

I've also lost control of Ursa. She isn't doing at all what I had originally planned. Originally she was only going to have a small role, but has rapidly taken over the story and on a life of her own. Too be honest, I'm no longer sure how this arc is going to end. Things are already veering away from the original conclusion, and lately an idea that's very different from what I had planned has bubbled out of that place wherever ideas come from. It does make it more interesting to write though when I don't know what's going to happen next.


	14. Wasser, Wider als Blut

Chapter 14  
**Wasser, wider als Blut**

Though she couldn't see her daughter, Ursa knew that she'd be forced to dodge away from the water bender. And it was quite unlikely she'd managed to dodge the full spread of flame bolts, leaving her vulnerable. _It's futile to ask, but please forgive me Azula, _prayed Ursa as she finally left the small space one stance radius she'd been successfully fighting from the whole time. Suddenly taking off like a shot through the smoke screen, she brought her arms back and began to build up a mass of flames between them.

*

Scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, Aang was kinda glad he was alone now. Not really, but at least no one had seen that. Toph would have never let him live it down.

He was feeling pretty silly. And still plenty terrified, but at least embarrassment had partially displaced fear's icy grip. _Okay, still not suffocating. I can do this. I'm a spirit now, I don't need air. _Aang tried to laugh, but it came out forced and awkward. _Right, all I have to worry about now is the Fire Lord's rage filled ghost whom I have no idea how I'm going to stop. I couldn't even beat him by myself when he was mortal, what chance do I have now? _

Briefly Aang wondered if it was possible for spirits to be killed, consigning the slain to the oblivion of non-being. The thought was too horrible to contemplate, and Aang shivered as he quickly shoved it aside. The specter of killing or being killed was already awful enough. _I have to be strong this time. I can't count on getting lucky again. No matter what it takes, I have to stop Ozai. _Orienting himself toward the malevolent fury he could feel emanating from deep below, the Avatar began to descend into the bowels of hell, a determined look on his face.

*

Tossing most of the flames toward her back hand which would deliver the follow up finishing strike, Ursa swept her other hand in front of her, sending out a large diagonal arc of flame to cover her as she emerged from the smokescreen. She didn't get the chance for the follow up. Eyes widening as she left the cover, Ursa saw the flash of lighting aimed right at her. However, committing to such an all in attack had left the Fire Princess vulnerable as well.

Raising her head, Katara watched in horror as the two attacks sped toward each other. It felt like everything was moving in slow motion. The lightning speeding toward Ursa. The flame arc hurtling toward Azula. Katara reached for her water flask, already knowing she'd be too late to change anything. Though Ursa had fired first, both attacks struck simultaneously. The She-Bear arched her back as the bolt passed through her, then crumpled to the ground, convulsing as electric aftershocks sparked around her fallen form. Azula was struck from her shoulder to the opposite hip. The powerful blast knocked her off her feet and back into the surrounding flames. "Azula!" _Moon Spirit, not both of them! _prayed Katara as she sprang to her feet, wincing at the pain in her knee.

*

Normally souls made their transition to the spirit world seamlessly. It was whispered however that those who died with unfinished business or bound by strong emotional ties might become ghosts, lost souls consumed by that which kept them from crossing over. Ozai was a spirit with unfinished business. And rage. Plenty of unsatisfied rage.

As Aang exited rock and entered into a large stream of magma, he could feel those waves of anger roiling through the life blood of the volcano. _How is he able to affect the physical world with his power? Is he that much stronger a bender than me? _Up ahead he could make out the Fire Lord, his back turned. The spirits of mortals Aang had met usually had a peaceful blue repose to them. Ozai's spirit however was a deep angry red. That couldn't be a good sign.

"So you've come Avatar. Planning to finish our duel with honor, or will you need my treacherous woman to save your skin again?" Aang could physically feel the contempt and barely held back anger radiating from the dead Fire Lord. The airbending youth gulped as Ozai turned around to face him, his muscular physique no less imposing for its transparency. In fact, his spirit form was even more intimidating. An ominous orange energy blazed around him and deep within his eyes. Aang felt pierced as Ozai fixed him with that glowing gaze, as if the Fire Lord could see right through him. More than he already could that is.

"Well, well, it seems I give you too much credit little boy," laughed Ozai suddenly, the glow going out of his eyes. "You've been deceiving everyone. But now I can see the truth; you aren't even the Avatar."

"What do you mean?" demanded Aang, a sick feeling starting to form in the pit of his stomach.

"Don't play dumb boy. Your body may have been brought back, but through your failure at Ba Sing Se the Avatar Spirit was killed by my daughter. No wonder you're so weak. Once I slay your spirit, there will be no more even pretender Avatars to keep my Nation from its glorious destiny. The stagnant Age of the Avatar is over, the glorious new Age of Fire shall begin! And I, Ozai the Phoenix King, will personally usher it in with cleansing fire, wiping out all at once our traitorous enemies you've conveniently gathered here for me!!" The volcano resumed it's rumbling as the angry glow returned to Ozai's eyes. Thrusting forward with both hands, he extended that glowing energy into the magma before him, sending it surging toward Aang.

A little slow to whirl out of the way, the side of Aang's arm was caught by the glowing magma. Crying out in surprise, the Avatar clutched his burnt arm in pain. This wasn't fair at all! Magma was really far more earth than fire. And as a spirit he should be untouchable. Yet looking down, his blue aura had been burnt black where the magma had brushed against him. Looking back up in alarm, Aang was greeted by the sight of Ozai's vicious smile as he began to whirl his arms around, extending his glowing aura into the surrounding magma as he gathered more of the deadly molten earth to himself.

The volcano, already unstable, began to shake even more violently. Toph gritted her teeth as she barely kept the ceiling and tunnels from collapsing on her team. Behind her, she felt Aang's body wince in pain. Her sensitive nose detected the faint smell of seared flesh.

"What the hell- What just happened to him!" exclaimed one of the startled Imperial Guards at the sight of the spontaneous injury to Aang's still body.

_Come on Twinkle Toes, get it together!_" worried Toph._ Ozai's playing for keeps._

*

Drawing her water and infusing it with her healing energy, Katara rushed towards the flames Azula's body had disappeared into. As she tried to make her way around them, she noticed a movement at the corner of her vision. Instinctively rolling away, she narrowly avoided the wall of flame that flared out towards her. Drawing more of her water out as a whip, Katara swung wildly as she rolled into a forward crouch. Ursa however had not managed to even get back on her feet yet, the water bender's attack passing harmlessly above her.

"Azula might have survived too! Let me get past the flames! I don't want to fight you!" pleaded Katara as she snapped her whip back down toward the Fire Lady, who barely managed to roll out of the way.

"Foolish child, you just don't know when to quit for your own good," grimaced Ursa as she swept a hand to the right. Once again, Katara had to roll out of the way as a wall of flame rushed forward from the surrounding blaze. _She may not have recovered enough to use her own inner fire, but she's not holding back anymore_, realized Katara as she felt the intense heat passing close behind her.

*

"Don't do this Ozai!" implored Aang as he leapt over the glowing magma the Fire Lord had swung toward him. "Don't you realize you'll also be wiping out all the innocent Fire Nation citizen?! What about your daughter and all your loyal soldiers?! Do you really want your last act as Fire Lord to be destroying your capital and killing thousands of your own people?" Flattening himself out, Aang avoided the follow up magma that narrowly passed above him as it swung in from the opposite direction as the first.

"Better than letting it be defiled by falling into the hands of my weakling brother and son," retorted Ozai as he sent a surge of magma straight at the small space the Avatar had been forced to dodge into. Pushing with his hands, Aang propelled himself backwards out of its way. "My subjects have all sworn their lives to me; if I decide they must sacrifice them to destroy our enemies, then it is their duty to make that sacrifice for the glory of the Fire Nation. There is no greater honor one of my faithful subjects could wish for than to be allowed to give their lives for their country!" Declared Ozai as he relentlessly pressed his attack against his helpless opponent.

"That's crazy!" yelled the outraged Avatar as he tried to stay one step ahead of the Fire Lord's offense, weaving this way and that as he dodged the deadly spirit burning magma. He wouldn't be able to avoid getting hit forever though.

"A rootless wanderer like you, without country or a people could never hope to understand the honor and glory they engender," spat Ozai contemptuously as his shade suddenly loomed toward Aang, eerily moving without movement, propelled entirely by his will.

"I'm the Avatar," declared Aang defiantly, standing his ground as the Fire Lord advanced. There was no hope to win if he kept running. "_All_ the people of _all _the nations are my people!" _Please bend_, prayed Aang as he struck toward Ozai.

"Pathetic," sneered Ozai as the Avatar's prayers went unanswered. "A fitting futile end for the "all elements and all people in one" nonsense of the Avatar." Aang's failed attempt to bend had left him wide open. Ozai wasted no time in striking forward, hitting the Avatar full force with a surge of magma. Miles above, Aang's body gave out a cry of pain, then fell back, hands twitching, before they too fell limp.

***

Azula: Ha! Take that Avatar! That'll teach you to start some stupid B plot in _my_ story. Now all I have to do is kill Mother, [anger]_who once again got more screen time than me_[anger], and the spotlight will once again be all mine! Mwhahahaha!

Katara: You do realize with Aang screwed we kinda are too, don't you? -_-;

Next:  
Compass of Fire

**Pedantic A/N**: I'm really happy with how well the chapter title worked, except it's probably to clever for anyone to get. That tends to happen with multilingual word plays. If you _did_ get it, consider me impressed. _Wasser, Wider als Blut _is German (though "wider" can, and does also have a relevant meaning in English) for Water against the Blood, which sounds like it has to do with blood bending, a total red herring.

Reading it bilingually gives you the phrase, "Water, wider than blood", an allusion to Aldous Huxley's _Ninth Philosopher's Song_ 'Blood, as all men know, than water's thicker/But water's wider, thank the Lord, than Blood.' Huxely himself is alluding to the famous German proverb "Blood is thicker than water," which means that bonds of family and race are stronger than bonds between unrelated people.

Huxley's subversion makes the point that thankfully our ability to form bonds with others can extend far wider than family, and he was likely specifically alluding to the capacity of Christian universal compassion to transcend and extend far wider than the bonds of blood.

This relates both to Aang and Katara in this chapter. In contrast with Ozai, Aang's compassion extends to all the people of the four nations, including his enemies in the Fire Nation capitol who are threatened by Ozai.

The irony is that by the token of "Blood is thicker than water," we'd expect Ozai to have a stronger connection to his fellow Fire Nation citizens and be more concerned for their lives. This is were the bilingual play on "wider" comes in. "Wider" can be translated as "against" with the connation of "contrary to the expectations of", so the chapter title can also be read as "Water, contrary to the expectations of blood."

By the expectations of blood, we'd expect Ursa to be more concerned for Azula's welfare. And yet, contrary to those expectations, Katara, who has no relation to Azula, is the one most concerned with her wellbeing. Because the compassion of water can transcended and spread out wider than blood.


	15. Compass of Fire

Chapter 15  
**Compass of Fire**

_Mother and daughter sat together on the dark hillside, waiting. The young girl had been so excited at the invitation that she'd hardly slept last night. But now, cuddled up in the crook of her Mother's arm, her head resting against her Mother's side, she was starting to feel sleep catching up with her. Blinking her eyes to try and shrug off their sudden heaviness, the little girl mentally chastised herself for not resting properly the night before. After all, this was a special occasion. She would only get one chance, and it wouldn't do to ruin it because she hadn't properly prepared._

_"How much longer until he arrives?" asked the girl as she stirred a little restlessly in her Mother's arms, worried that if it was much longer she might shame her self by being found fast asleep. _

_"Not long love," replied her Mother as she gently stroked her daughter's hair. "Just be patient a little more. We haven't spent much time together like this since you started your "secret training" you know. And we probably won't have as many opportunities now that your Father's decided to personally train you. Is being with me that boring?" asked the Mother._

_She tried to make the question teasing, but her daughter noticed a slight pensive flash in her Mother's eyes, which wouldn't meet hers. Very little slipped past the daughter's sharp notice. _

_She felt a little guilty that her attempts to rouse herself had been mistaken for impatience. Truth be told, she'd missed spending time with her Mother like this as well. Her "secret" training had been worth it though; it had more than won back her Father's attention, and the look on Zuzu's face had been priceless when she'd flawlessly performed the kata he was still bumbling his way through. Still, there had been some nights after hard training, when she'd lain alone with only her aching muscles for company, that she'd found herself wishing for the softer comforts of her mother._

_She wanted to assure her Mother of this, but when she tried to find the words, they seemed too childish, her ego strangling them unspoken in her throat. She wasn't a little girl anymore after all. She was a Bender! It would be an unbefitting show of weakness to admit to something so immature as being too excited to get proper sleep. She had to be more grown up than that now._

_The little girl's internal struggle was interrupted by a sudden shift in her Mother. She perked up, looking out over the sea's horizon as if she could hear some invisible call. "It's going to start," announced her Mother, shifting to sitting on her ankles and placing her hands together in prayer position as she closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Can you feel it daughter?"_

_"I… I think so," lied the girl as she mimicked her Mother's pose. A little frustrated, she opened one eye a crack to peek at her Mother and asked sweetly, "What's it supposed to feel like again?"_

_"You don't need to force yourself daughter," sighed her Mother with a sad smile, her daughter's insincerity not escaping her. "This is a case where trying will only make it harder. Only when you let go of your ego and clear your mind will there be enough space to feel another's soul." It was a lesson her daughter needed to learn. _

_Her daughter clenched her eyes shut tighter, trying to figure out how to force her mind clear. It wasn't working though, her mind only getting more agitated as she tried to will it to stop willing. Which was impossible! Frustrated, and knowing that there was a time limit to get it right slipping away with each second, the daughter gritted her teeth as she redoubled her efforts. Absorbed in said efforts, she startled as a hand was gently placed on her shoulder._

_"Relax you silly busy head," teased her Mother as she rapped her fist against her daughter's overheating skull. "Not everything can be solved with that brainy head of yours you know. Didn't I tell you this was something you can't accomplish by trying?"_

_"Then how am I supposed to do it!" exploded the daughter, losing control to her temper._

_"You can start…" ordered the Mother as she moved both her arms down and began massaging her daughter's tense shoulders, "…by relaxing." _

_"But we're running out of ti-" the daughter's whining was shushed by her mother placing one finger against her lips._

_"Hush little kola lamb, that doesn't sound like relaxing. I knew this would be difficult for you and allowed for it. We'll still have time if you stop ignoring what your Mother says."_

_"You don't have to treat me like a little child," muttered the daughter, though she let her shoulders slump down. And now that she wasn't fighting it, she had to admit her mother's ministrations felt pretty good against her knotted muscles. _

_"You're what, three years old? Practically an infant. It seems like just yesterday you were crawling around in diapers," reminisced the Mother as she worked deeper along her daughter's shoulder blades._

_"Mother! I turned four over a month ago, and you know it!" accused the daughter. _

_"Sorry, sorry," laughed the Mother as she watched her daughter's face turn red in embarrassment. _

_"You're not sorry at all…" huffed the daughter. "…oh, a little bit to the left, that's the spot." _

"_Well, when you take yourself so seriously it's hard for others to resist cutting you down to your pint size," offered up her Mother with a chuckle as she felt her daughters knots finally start to melt underneath her fingers. "You certainly don't relax as well as your brother did. Zuko was already well attuned by this point. And he didn't need a shoulder rub to do it." The Mother felt her daughter stiffen at the unfavorable comparison to her brother._

"_That's,,, that's because you treat him better! How am I supposed to focus when you keep making fun of me! I'm sure if I was teasing Zuko I could keep him from… from whatever it is we're supposed to be doing!" _

"_What you're supposed to be _not_ doing is focusing. Needs the compass focus to find the Moon Spirit's sea?" _

_"…No. The Moon Spirit left part of herself at the North Pole so that her children might always find their way back home to her no matter how far they ventured out on the waters," recited the daughter, remembering well her bedtime stories. " It's just the nature of the moonstone in the compass to be pulled toward the larger portion of the moon hidden at the top of the world," _

_"Very good Azula. I'm going to share a secret with you now," whispered the mother as she started massaging her way up her daughter's neck. Her daughter's ears perked up at this, for she was very fond of secrets. "The Moon wasn't the only spirit who left her people with a compass to guide them to her. The compass our people were given is far greater, as befits its giver and his people. It needs no lowly physical form, for it is infused into the soul of every Fire Bender, pulling them toward the source of all Fire."_

_"Agni!" the daughter exclaimed the name of the Sun Spirit in excitement, comprehension beginning to dawn. "So I can use my Firebending as a compass to sense east now?" _

_"That's one way to put it I suppose…" acknowledged the Mother ambivalently. The daughter felt cheated that her Mother was showing no pride in her insight this time. "You shouldn't think of it so banally though. What's important is not finding the east, but the One who dwells there." _

_"I knew that!" claimed the daughter (another part of her mind filing away "banal" to look up later). "You're the one who brought up compasses, so I was just…"_

_The daughter was cut off by her mother. "That's enough Azula. You're whining like a little child. We don't have time to waste with your back talk. Understand?"_

_"Yes Mother," sighed the daughter resentfully, her Mother's tone making it clear that such submission was expected._

_"That's a good girl," said the Mother, reinforcing the statement by resuming the neck rub she'd halted. The daughter sighed again, but this time it was with pleasure. "Now it's time to sense for Agni. Start by slowly breathing in." The daughter obeyed, breathing in sharply. "… and just relax as you slowly breath out. Good," encouraged the mother as her daughter let out her breathe. "Now allow your breathe to smooth out and slow even more with your next inhalation."_

_The daughter finally felt herself beginning to relax as her breathe slowly evened out. "That's the idea," said the Mother. "Notice how your body relaxes with each exhalation, noticing how your shoulders move in rhythm with your breathe, becoming even more relaxed as they drop back down in time with your exhalation," thumbs stroking down to assist her daughter's shoulders as they fell, the Mother's gentle voice was becoming quite entrancing, everything else beginning to fade away. _

_"Your attention focused on your breathing, allow that focus to flow out with it." Finally letting go, the daughter felt her self consciousness dissipating with her breathe. "That's perfect. You're form is good enough now that you can continue breathing correctly without even needing to pay attention to it, allowing yourself to relax completely, letting the last of your thought and effort drain out with this breathe, creating space inside yourself for Agni." Letting out that breath, it felt to the daughter as if even her awareness of her body was fading, as if it were turning into a steam which mixed and dissipated with her breath, leaving only a vague sense of heat, reinforced by her mothers now warmed hands working between the shoulder blades. _

_Her mother's voice came to her as if from far away, "Remember, you do not need to try; the soul of a fire bender is like a compass, it is it's nature to be pulled toward The Lord of the Heavens. All you need do is let go and relax, and your fire bending will begin to naturally resonate with it's source. Can you feel the fire of your bending inside you Azula?"_

"_Yes, it feels warm," replied the daughter in a trance like voice. _

"_Good, let your awareness be drawn to that warmth, like a moth to the flame. Let it be drawn to the flame until nothing else exists except that heat and fire, burning everything else away, including the moth of your awareness, becoming part of the flame as it burns." _

_The heat inside the daughter wasn't that large, only like a candle really, but even a candle could burn a moth. The daughter felt herself becoming one with that candle. Burning steadily and contentedly in a dark void. Or not so steadily. It would be imperceptible to any outside observer, but the candle flame could feel itself growing incrementally stronger, the wax and wick melting away until it was alone in the void. And yet somehow it managed to continue burning, growing stronger still despite the lack of fuel.  
_

_The flame idly wondered how it could burn under such circumstances. The void must not be so empty after all. In fact, the flame had a vague notion that it was here to find that something. Its light illuminating the darkness, the flame was surprised when it instead felt what it was looking for at its own center. A steady stream of chi was flowing from it's own lifeforce, ignited by its bending. _

_It wasn't the flames soul or bending that was growing stronger though. It was something else rising, carrying the flames bending power along with it. And then the flame could feel it, the sense of a distant and unfathomably powerful presence connected to her. As it rose, it warmed the void, separating the heat from the cold and causing a wind to stir the excited flame. This was what she had been searching for!_

_The daughters eyes snapped open. "I did it! I did it Mother! I found Agni!" exclaimed the daughter excitedly as she pointed toward the eastern horizon, dawns light beginning to lighten the sky. "I can feel him beyond the sea!"_

"_That you can," said the Mother, forcing a half smile. "If you'd hadn't been in such a rush to show it off and maintained your trance a little longer you might have even seen His face." She hadn't actually expected her daughter to reach such a deep trance (though she supposed she should stop being so surprised by what her little prodigy was capable of). Once she'd gone under however, the mother had allowed the hope that her little fire bender might actually attain a spiritual epiphany, experiencing some much needed humility in the face of a vastly greater being._

_The daughter could sense that she'd somehow once again disappointed her Mother. It was always like this thought the daughter; outwardly she'll pretend to smile, but in her heart she's unhappy with me. It was unfair! It'd been so difficult, and she'd tried so hard, and she'd been so excited to have more than pulled it off what she considered perfectly in the end, yet her Mother wouldn't share in the excitement and praise her. "But I did exactly what you asked me to," protested the daughter. "You didn't say anything about "Agni's fa-""_

"_I'm sorry love," apologized the Mother, realizing too late the effect she was having on her perfectionist daughter. "It was unfair of me to expect of you something the Fire Sages often go their whole lives hoping to attain. It's just… when I performed my first bending at sunrise, during the attunement I managed catch a glimpse of the Sun Spirit Himself, and I guess a part of me was hoping you'd have the same life changing experience. We have such a hard time relating to each other as is, I thought it might…"_

"_By "life changing" you mean you wish Azula would cease to exist and I'd become a different person, don't you? You don't like who I am," interrupted the daughter coldly as she locked her sharp golden eyes on her mother. _

"_That's not what I meant!" the mother claimed. _

"_You wish I was more girly like Ty Lee. Or more compliant like Mai. That I didn't set the doll you gave me for my last birthday on fire," pressed the daughter accusingly, refusing to let it go._

_The mother's mouth hung agape for a moment, knowing she had to say something in response, but in a horrible panicked moment unable to find the words._

_That's right, you couldn't deny it immediately, because deep down you knew it was true_, remembered Azula bitterly.

***

Ursa: It was your pride that drove us apart Azula.

Azula: No, it was that you were never able to accept me as I was, and were never willing to admit it. I hated that. Just come out and say it!

Ursa: What about your lack of honesty daughter? Your inability to open up and admit weakness, even to yourself. That's why you need it to be my fault, so you can still think you were the perfect one. In the end that's what led to your downfall. That isolated you one by one from everyone. That deluded you into believing you could defeat me on your own.

Azula: …

Next:  
Chapter 16  
Under His Eternal Light


	16. Under His Eternal Light

Chapter 16  
**Under His Eternal Light**

_"Azula, you shouldn't think such horrible things. Listen to me," said the Mother as she put both her hands firmly on her daughter's shoulders and tried to find the right words. "It's true you're not the typical daughter a Mother would expect, but that's because you are your own special and unique person, and I love you for that. I really admire how talented you are and how hard you strive. I would never want to lose my ambitious daughter who burns with the desire to be the best in the whole world at everything she does," assured the Mother as she cupped her daughter's face in her hands to keep her from turning away. _

"_I worry though that sometimes you let your desire to be the best get the better of you, and it causes you to look down on and hurt others. You're a Fire Bender now, and a Fire Bender needs to always control themselves, otherwise the power bestowed by Agni can end up consuming them and those they're close to. You might seriously injure Ty Lee one of these days now that you can bring forth your inner fire. Your ambition is like your bending Azula, it can allow you to do amazing things, but if you don't learn to control and channel it properly you could hurt yourself and others." _

"_So you see, it's not that I want you to stop being my beloved ambitious Azula, it's just that I worry how it might cause you to hurt yourself or others. And I worry because I love you. You do know that I love you very much, don't you Azula?" asked the Mother as he looked plaintively in her daughter's eyes._

_The daughter looked away blushing, "You don't need to get so sentimental Mother, it's embarrassing. And you worry too much. I can take care of myself."_

"_Then hopefully you'll stop scaring me by saying such horrible things," teased the Mother as she released her daughter and gave her forehead a reprimanding flick. "And Mother's can't help but worry about their children. It's what we do best." Giving her protesting daughter an assuring one armed hug toward her side, the Mother then sat back down in prayer. "Let's not fight anymore, Agni is about to rise, and it would be rude of us to greet Him with our petty quarrels."_

"…_what was it like?"_

"_What was what like dear?"_

"_When you saw Agni."_

"_It's not something that can really be put into words. It's something that has to be directly experienced. If you're interested in perfecting your meditation we could go on a pilgrimage to the Solstice Temple this summer; there's no better place or time to seek Agni."_

_"I… what I did sense of Agni was pretty amazing," offered up the daughter, deciding against the lie, as she knew her Mother was good at seeing through them. "I know he's the greatest of the spirits, but I never expected him to be so… so…" the normally articulate four year threw her arms wide, words for once seeming inadequate to capture what she'd felt._

_The Mother watched her daughter's flailing gesticulation in amusement. "Perhaps there are no words for it daughter. The spirits are often beyond the limits of our mortal understanding."_

_The daughter gleefully took up the challenge. "Even only sensing a fraction of his power, it was vast beyond belief. It was so vast that… that even if only a millionth of his power was brought here, it would easily be more than enough to instantly burn this world to ash more than a million times over. I want power like that. It was incredible!" finished the daughter breathlessly. _

_The gleam in her daughter's eye as she described power enough to incinerate all living things many a time over was more than a little disturbing. The Mother tried to steady herself as she replied, "Yes, that would be horrible wouldn't it? For our sake Agni seals His full power and dwells far apart from us in the heavens, apart from even the other spirits, because His power is so great that the world could not survive contact with its might. That's also why He blesses us with a fragment of His power and merged His blood with our divine imperial ancestors; since He is no longer directly in this world He needs us to fulfill His will of taming both His own ferocious power and the world."_

_"Too bad no one ever seems to agree on what exactly his will is," muttered the daughter, whom loved to read war stories and was familiar with the role differing interpretations of "Agni's Will" had played in many of the civil conflicts that plagued the Fire Isle's bloody history before Sozin defeated and made official his power over the Fire Sages. The daughter was cynical enough to know however that such interpretations were just excuses for the pursuit of power, and that even without religion's cloak the pursuit would always remain under one guise or another. While she generally found doctrinal interpretation dull, a charade engaged in by those too weak to seek power on their own terms, she had to admit the idea of being descended from a God was pretty cool._

"_Hush child, Agni arrives." Both of them let their fist slide down below their other palm in the traditional greeting of respect, bowing as a golden glow spread along the oceanic horizon. "Can you feel it daughter?" whispered the Mother._

"_Yes Mother," whispered the daughter excitedly, "My bending is getting stronger!"_

"_Good. Just let that sensation sink in, allowing the connection between you and the Sun Spirit to deepen as you feel your flame burning brighter."_

_Trying to keep her excitement in check, the daughter breathed the dawn in, the breath stirring her inner flame and warming her from the inside. The mother watched, pleased as her daughter exhaled with a contented sigh. The daughter looked toward her Mother to make sure she was doing it right, and the Mother wordlessly nodded with a smile. Seeing her Mother's approval, the daughter broke out in a spontaneous genuine grin of her own (something quite rare for her) before taking in her next breathe._

_Things may have been difficult in places, thought the Mother as she watched her daughter, but in the end this was worth it. Her dark worries dispelled by the bright optimism day break encourages, the Mother began to sing. A cheerful morning hymn, of Agni calling the world to awaken to the beautiful new day._

_At first the daughter was thrown off by the unexpected interruption, but she quickly took it in stride, imaging that her soul was resonating at the same harmonic as her Mother's pitch. It struck the daughter that this moment was so perfect that she almost wished time itself would stop. Her Mother's beautiful singing, the rare closeness she could feel between them, the warm sense of rising power inside her soul, all before the beauty of the dawn painted ocean and sky. If only this moment could last forever._

_Reaching the end of her verse, the Mother stopped. "You know Azula, Agni's light transcends mortal time. Long after this world fades away, this moment will always be here for us inside His eternal light."_

_The daughter was surprised that her Mother had seemed to read her mind. "R-really?"_

"_Of course. Agni is the greatest of the Spirits after all. Even time can not bind His awesome power. And you can always hold onto this moment in your own memories as well. I know my memories of you and Zuko are among my greatest treasures." Azula took another breathe in, trying to take the entire moment in. Just then the top of the sun broke through the waves, illuminating Mother and daughter as they sat on the hillside. "It's time."_

_The daughter nodded as she stood up. She'd been feeling her inner fire steadily increasing, and now it was time to let it out. This would be it, her first time Firebending at sun rise, and she wanted it to be as perfect as the preceding moment. Exhaling, she released arcs of flame around both her hands, moving them in a broad circular movement to gather more breathe to herself as she shifted into ready stance._

_***_

Next:

Chapter 17  
Breaking the Will

A/N: It should be noted that while Ursa has no inkling of the physics involved, her religious intuitions about light are more or less correct. Most of us recall the example of a boy taking a UFO ride near the speed of light where very little time passes for him, but upon returning to earth everyone else has aged forty years.

As an object approaches the speed of light, time slows down for it. Were the speed of light to be achieved, time would actually stop from the POV of the one at light speed. Instead of traveling through time, all moments on an objects timeline, past and future, would exist simultaneously.

This means that billions of years in the future, even after we've died and the earth has disappeared, from the POV of the light we've crossed paths with, we'll still exist eternally within its transcendent perspective as long as it does, which for light could very well be forever.


	17. Breaking the Will

Chapter 17  
**Breaking the Will**

"…Are they _Young_? Yet the _Devil_ has been with them already… They go astray as soon as they are born. They no sooner _step_ than they _stray_, they no sooner _lisp_ than they _ly_. Satan gets them to be proud, profane, reviling and revengeful as _young_ as they are… Why should you not be afore-hand with _him_?"  
-Cotton Mather, _Small Offers Towards the Service of the Tabernacle in this Wilderness_

_Letting her breathe out again in a short explosive exhalation, the daughter began to bend, shifting into a horse stance as she unleashed a fiery punch. The space before her soon was filled with her execution of the blazing basics. Punches, kicks, blocks. Tens sets of each, in the proper order._

_Laying back on her side, the mother let out a little sigh as she propped her head up with one hand to watch her daughter's predictable routine. Right as she began her fourth round house, her Mother let out a slight yawn. Caught off guard by the unexpected interruption, the daughter nearly lost her balance. Wincing, she was forced to wobble out both arms so she could bring her foot back with out falling. "Mother! You almost made me mess up!" protested the indignant daughter._

"_You mean I _did_ make you mess up," corrected the Mother. "And don't stop bending young lady, you're supposed to experience the continuous increase of your power," she added as she stood up, towering over her daughter. Caught off guard once again, this time by her Mother's surprisingly direct reproach, the daughter closed her mouth and continued her kicks. "If you let your hands leave their proper guard like that in a real fight you'll leave yourself wide open. And you can be sure an enemy will have far more devious tricks than a mere yawn to throw you off guard," warned the Mother as she circled around her daughter, arms crossed behind her back. Then with a teasing smile she added, "That's twelve kicks by the way," _

_An awkward choking noise in the back of her throat, the daughter tried to hastily switch feet. Being that she was still in the middle of kicking with the foot she needed to switch to, this didn't work out so well. Determined not to give her Mother an opportunity to scold her once again for dropping her guard, the proud daughter hesitated a fraction of a second too long to try and regain her balance by extending her arms. Leading to the even more humiliating result of having to futilely flail her arms as she toppled gracelessly to the ground. _

_Anger flaring, the daughter slammed a fist into the ground. "Mother-! *gulp*" Her petulant outburst was brought to a halt by her Mother's displeased icy gaze, and for a moment the daughter cringed with fear. Had she finally gone too far with her whining? Or was her mother disgusted by her poor form? She knew her strict Father would have already punished her for both offenses, but Mother was usually more indulgent. Her Mother however wasn't usually instructing her in the life and death art of combat. _

"_I said keep bending!" barked the Mother, sending a surprise flame punch at her frozen daughter. Panicking at the unexpected attack, the daughter clenched her eyes shut and crossed her arms in front of her. Feeling the rapidly approaching heat with the back of her arms, the daughter desperately thought "Go away!" instinctively flinging her right arm into an outward block. To her surprise, the flame obeyed, dissipating with her block. _

_There was no time however to catch her breath. "If you won't bend your own fire, I'll force you to bend mine!" Stepping forward, the Mother launched a second flame punch with her other hand. Leaning back to put more distance between herself and her Mother, and to support herself with the arm that had blocked the previous attack, the daughter's left arm moved in the opposite direction, sweeping the onrushing flame to the side. As she did so, the daughter noticed the blaze wasn't as big as it'd first seemed. Sh-she's not trying to kill me, realized the daughter. She's pulling her punches. _

_Regaining control of herself, the daughter extended her left arm back beside the right, allowing her to push off the ground. Sweeping her legs in front of herself, she got off a sweep flame kick as she jumped back up to her feet._

"_Finally," said the Mother with satisfaction as she leapt straight up, high over her daughter's attack. "Your Father will have far less patience if you ignore what he tells you during training Azula," warned the Mother, once again seeming to read her daughter's mind. _

"_I know that," acknowledged the daughter, managing this time to keep herself from whining. Perhaps she needed to start taking her Mother a little more seriously. In that case, lets see if you're really as weak as Father says… thought the calculating daughter as the corner of her mouth turned up in a wicked grin. Keeping up her bending, she swept her right hand that was still behind her in a forward arc over her head, the left hand helping it channel a large pillar of fire with which to catch her airborne Mother._

"_Cocky child," thought the Mother as she observed the mass of flames her daughter was building up. "I was going to let up on you, however…" Kicking at a downward angle, she launched a blast of flame toward her daughter._

_The daughter watched the incoming blaze with alarm. Now _that_ was a lot of fire! And it was far quicker than her own attack! Abandoning her strike, the daughter quickly crossed her arms above her, using both forearms as she struck up and outward to dissipate the blaze with her X block. While she managed to avoid being burnt, the attack was stronger than she expected, its force knocking her off her feet and sending her skidding ignominiously several feet on her back._

_Looking up, the daughter saw this was fortunate, the pillar of flame she'd been forced to let go of collapsing directly from its apex on top of where moments before she'd stood. It only took one knowing look from her Mother, her landing as graceful as her daughter's wasn't, for the daughter to realize that this had been intentional; had this been a real fight her Mother would have allowed her to hold her now flaming ground. Checkmate by her own power. _

_Like a not quite housebroken puppy caught making its mess, the embarrassed daughter quickly set about trying to put out the grass fire her lack of control had started, rushing from flame to flame as she bent them inward and upward, narrowing them away from their fuel. As she attempted to subdue the blaze, the daughter snuck a few glances toward her Mother to see if she was angry. She was worried that she was already "bending on dry tinder" as was (the Fire Nation equivalent of the Water Tribe expression "skating on thin ice"). Her Mother's arms were crossed below her chest, but the expression on her face was one of smug amusement. Quickly looking away lest her Mother see the flush spreading across her cheeks, the daughter almost wished her Mother would get angry instead. The lash would sting less than these humiliations._

_Placing one hand on her hip, the Mother couldn't help but chuckle as she watched her daughter's frenetic rushing about, stomping on the smaller flames as she tried to herd the larger ones toward the center where the grass had already burnt away. "As you can see daughter, increased power is only a liability if you can't control it." The daughter glared at her Mother, clearly irritated. Apparently her Mother thought making a fool of her during her rite of passage was hilarious. But this time she held her tongue, realizing she'd only dig herself in deeper if she let her Mother rile her up further._

"_Well well, it looks like you're at least learning to control that tongue of yours daughter," observed the Mother wryly as she crossed her arms behind her and turned back toward where she'd risen. "That's a start I suppose." _

_That did it! Fists shaking, the daughter grabbed the bonfire she'd gathered together with her bending. It took every ounce of self control she had to keep from striking at her Mother's back. How dare she insult her so! "Don't take me so lightly Mother!" hissed the daughter, the flame hissing too as it angled threateningly toward her Mother " You shouldn't turn your back on me," warned the daughter chillingly. _

_Her Mother stopped and paused, the heat from the crackling flame seeming to breathe down her neck like an angry beast. "That almost sounded like a threat daughter," replied the Mother finally, her tone equally glacial. Turning around slowly, she caught her daughter with her glare, the angry flames reflecting off it. "You shouldn't show your back to an enemy or when fighting. So daughter, the question is; are you my enemy… or is this a fight?" _

_***_

Ursa: I suggest you consider your answer carefully. I do not play child's games in a real battle.

Katara: You know, you could have been a pretty cute kid, _ if it weren't for your inability to go a _single_ chapter without getting seriously psycho creepy!_

Azula: Why do I have to remember this? I don't want to have to relive what came next…

Ursa: Welcome to my unremitting hell.

Next:  
Chapter 18  
Monster


	18. Monster

Chapter 18  
**Monster**

"_I suggest you consider your answer carefully. I do not play child's games in a real battle," warned the Mother as she slowly raised one arm, grabbing the bonfire with her own formidable bending as she suddenly extended her hand. The daughter gasped as the blaze flared threatening toward her. "Well daughter, are we enemies? Sometimes you make me wonder."_

"_N-no," gasped the daughter as she was forced sweating back onto one knee. It was straining all the bending power she had to simply keep the blaze in check. The blaze being pushed toward her by her Mother's one casually outstretched hand. _

_"Do you want this to be a fight then daughter?" asked the Mother, her voice growing angrier. "Do you honestly believe you can challenge me?!" _

_"N-no! Of course not!" gasped the daughter, the flames inching closer and closer despite her best efforts to repel them, her entire body shaking from the overexertion. "I'm loyal to you and Father!" she claimed desperately, the heat becoming unbearable._

_"I should hope so," replied the Mother. Suddenly striking up and inward with her arms, she lifted the bonfire off the ground and flared it out horizontally, the blaze going out like a supernova. The fire she'd been pushing against suddenly gone, the daughter collapsed forward on all fours, panting. _

"_When the royal family sticks together, no power on earth can oppose us, and the nation prospers. However, too often have your ancestors given in to selfish short sighed ambition, and once the plotting and infighting begins, the country starts down the dark and bloody volcano's slope of immolation. Agni turns his back on us, unable to bear watching his children shed each other and His blood, while the country and her people suffer for it. Seeing our internal weakness, the ever envious barbarians begin to prey upon us, raiding by sea and swarming like locust over the land. The future of the Empire and her people depends on our filial loyalty to each other. Do not forget that Azula, or give me another occasion to believe you have. I promise you won't get off so lightly."_

"_Un-understood," whispered the chastened daughter as she got back to her feet, resuming her bending before her Mother could scold her again. Rattled, she mainly focused on her breathe, moving in a slow improvised kata, simply letting her movements flow which ever direction they seemed to want to go, letting the tension drain out with her exhalation and fire as she allowed her nerves to settle._

_"Good," acknowledged the Mother tersely, folding her arms as she reclined back against a rock to watch her daughter, maintaining perfect outer composure. Inside however her nerves were just as much in need of settling. She'd seen that expression on her daughter's face as she'd swept the flame pillar toward her. And that tone when she'd warned her that she shouldn't show her back… the memory sent a shiver down her spine. _

_Dealing with Azula often left her with this unsettled feeling that something wasn't quite right with her daughter. Ozai always told her that she worried too much, that it was all in her head, and she wanted to believe him. But she couldn't shake her dark suspicions, especially now. _

"_It's nice to see you trying something original Azula. Very graceful and pleasing movements. Real battles often require such unscripted improvisation. To this point you've only copied what you spied your brother doing, and you'll have plenty of tedious opportunity to drill the basics over and over in your formal training," advised the Mother, uncrossing her arms as she forced an encouraging smile for her daughter._

_The dark thoughts would not go away however. Mother had been opposed to her marrying a descendant of Grandfather's killer, calling her a traitor (and much worse). She had tried to tell her Mother that marrying into the royal family would finally restore their dishonored house to it's former glory, but her Mother would have none of it, warning that any children of such a union would be cursed by the conflicting mixture of the infernal Sozin's and holy Roku's bloodlines, always at war within themselves. That the royal family was a scheming nest of weasel-vipers, constatnly plotting how to remove their enemies and put themselves on the throne. That she and her children would become no more than disposable pawns in such treacherous power plays, and by Agni, that was no fit environment to bring children up in, and she was a selfish woman for condemning her children to it as she grasped for power. _

_She hadn't listened of course, telling her Mother that she was an ungrateful superstitious old woman, out of touch with the new ways of the nobility since the war had refocused it's aggressive ambitions outward (not that either of them would have really known, considering their family was pointedly _not_ invited to noble functions). And of course, time seemed to be conspiring to prove that her Mother had actually known a thing or two._

_Trying to banish the unpleasant memories, the Mother brought her focus back to her little bender. Encouraged by her Mother's approval, the daughter had loosened up a bit, experimentally playing with different bending combos. Good thought the Mother, children _should_ be playing and having fun. It was one of the ways they learned best._

_Realizing her Mother wasn't going to be particularly critical of form, the daughter grew more bold, throwing off her timidity as she threw herself into her free form attacks and counterattacks. Imagining herself leading an assault on Ba Sing Se, the daughter let out a laugh as the walls crumbled and she led her men in a charge through the breach._

_That's more like it, thought the Mother, smiling genuinely this time as she watched her child once again acting like one; whooping with laughter, a large devilish grin plastered across her face as she gave free play to the boundless energy Agni graced upon the young._

_The daughter was glad her Father wasn't here now. She'd be far too self conscious of her form and dignity to play around like this under his stern judging gaze. But she really could feel the flow of her power increasing with the sunrise much better now that she was giving full play to it. At this rate the Earth __Kingdom Capital would be hers in no time!_

_Whack! She deflected the incoming boulder with a firm block, then set the impertinent earthbender alight with her lunging counter attack! Ha! The ground opened up beneath her feet to try and swallow her, but she was to quick for those lumbering earth sloths, leaping to safety, and then gracefully rolling along the ground to avoid the stone blocks flying overhead. Coming back up on her hands, she twirled around in a three hundred and sixty degree flame kick low to the ground, striking the guards who had her surrounded and incinerating their lower legs. The earthbenders collapsed screaming to their charred knees. Hahahaha! That's where you belong lowly peons! As if you're pathetic attacks stood a chance against the greatest general in the Fire Nation. Onward to the Royal Palace soldiers! Burn everything in our way!_

_How cute, she must be playing make believe, thought the Mother as she watched her little prodigies increasingly aggressive display of bending. I wonder what she's imagining now?_

_General, a platoon of water benders has ambushed our left flank! Regroup and lay down suppressing fire, make them take cover! Under the ferocious counterassault the foolish water benders dove into the lake, right where she wanted them. _

_Deliberately setting the grass ahead of her on fire, the daughter raised both hands palm up as she intensified the blaze into a rising pillar. "Heat the lake! We'll boil them alive like lobsters-clams! Shoot any who try to surface like fish in a barrel!" ordered the pint sized general as she gleefully picked off a water bender trying to make a break for the opposite shore. _

_Bubbling, the lake boiled over, the daughter grinning as the facedown corpses of the water benders floated to the surface. Her hands fully extended upward with the pillar of fire, she copied the move she'd envied her mother using, flaring the blaze out like a nova._

_Amazing. It's an advanced technique, but she was able to copy it after only seeing it once. She truly is gifted. Maybe she even has what it takes for the dangerous burden our Lord intends for her…_

_The daughter felt a heady rush of power as she watched the blaze successfully flare out. And her power was only getting intoxicatingly stronger as Agni continued to rise. "So who's next!" challenged the general as she surveyed with satisfaction the city burning before her. Just then she saw a flash of winged movement in the sky. An airbender glider perhaps? At last, this was the moment she'd been training her entire life for!_

_Striking immediately with two extended fingers, she released a flame bolt at her target. It was small, and flying incredibly fast, but for the little prodigy it might as well have been in slow motion. As often happened for her, everything fell naturally into place, the thrust of her attack moving in perfect harmony with the bobbing trajectory of the target's flight path. The flame bolt struck home, and her target fell burning from the sky._

_Grinning in triumph, the daughter turned excitedly toward her Mother. "Did you see that Mother! I hit it! I hit…" the daughter's grin faded abruptly as she caught sight of her Mother's face. The slow motion reel continued for the daughter, this time with a feeling of sick dread rather than eager anticipation. She watched as her Mother's expression, which had only moments before been watching her with pleased amusement, slowly changed to one of wide eyed horror, as if her daughter had been suddenly replaced by some monster. The two of them froze, the only movement on the hillside being that of the burning song bird falling from the sky._

_***_

Next:

Azula: I've never forgotten how you looked at me in that unguarded moment, when I could see what you really thought of me. You were never happy with me, would never give me any lasting approval. There was only one way to not lose a game you would never let me win for the most trivial of reasons.

Ursa: No life is trivial Azula. Not the life of our peasants, a birds, or even those of the Earth Kingdom we kill and conqueror. One who does not, who can not understand that, is not fit to rule and hold the lives of millions in her callous hands. I will not allow it.

Azula: You really think I'm an unfeeling monster don't you? Then why…

Ursa: Why what daughter?

Azula: …never mind. It doesn't matter anymore. There's no going back for either of us at this point.

Chapter 19  
**Burning Bridges**


	19. Burning Bridges

Chapter 19  
**Burning Bridges**

_The mother jumped to her feet, shooting her daughter a narrow eyed look before she rushed over toward the unfortunate bird. It had managed to survive the fall, but it was making a horrible squawking sound as it flailed it's now useless wings, futilely trying to put out the flame. Her view obscured by her Mother's back, the daughter only saw a booted leg raise, and then quickly come down. The pitiful squawking abruptly ceased._

_The daughter resumed bending very quietly, nervously watching her Mother, who was just staring at the ground, whispering something under her breath in disbelief. Sensing her daughter's continuation behind her, she straightened herself back up. "Stop bending Azula. You're done."_

_There was a dangerous undercurrent to her Mother's tone, but the daughter ignored the little voice warning her not to push it. She didn't feel like being bossed around by her Mother again, especially over something so trivial. "What?! But I was just getting started! You're the one who said I was supposed to keep.." protested the daughter as she doodled a little burning figure eight in the air._

_*SLAP* "I said stop bending!!" The daughter held her throbbing cheek in disbelief. This was the first time she'd seen her gentle Mother strike anyone! Even when a clumsy serving girl had broken that priceless vase, Mother hadn't lost her temper, instead reassuring the distraught girl and dismissing her before Father or the Chief of Palace Staff could find out (and the daughter_ had_ been planning to tattle; it was always fun to see someone else get in trouble). _

_She'd even given the unworthy girl enough gold to cover a carriage ride and ship fare to the colonies! So why is she getting so upset now, wondered the bewildered daughter, the stinging in her cheek starting to spread to her eyes. I'm her daughter, not some lowly servant! And compared to that Imperial heirloom, a common songbird is nothing. Yet she treats me worse! _

_Her Mother wasn't done berating her either. The daughter had never seen her so upset. "What part of "stop bending, you're done" is so hard for a supposed genius like you to understand?! What is wrong with you child?! Why don't you ever listen to what I tell you?! Didn't I say 'now that you were a firebender you needed to always be in control?' Didn't' I?!" _

_The daughter could feel her own temper flaring to match her Mothers. "Okay, so maybe I got a little carried away, but that's no reason to try and ruin my Agni Kotan!" shouted back the daughter. "It was just a stupid bird, it's no reason to-!" *KASLAP* The second strike landed sharply on the daughter's other cheek, forceful enough to knock her off balance, causing her to stumble to the side a bit. _

"__Maybe_ you got a "little carried away"?! Is that the extent of your penitence? What you did isn't something that can just be brushed aside or fixed. Do you even feel the least bit guilty daughter?" demanded the Mother._

"_What would be the point?!" retorted the daughter as she looked away in frustration. "You've said it yourself that fire bending is the most pure of the martial arts, closest to the pure energy bending practiced by the Lion-Turtle gods in the age before man. Why do you think that is?" demanded the daughter as she fiercely looked back at her Mother, digging in her heels and becoming more convinced with each heated word that _she_ was the one in the right. _

"_You know as well as I do what the true purpose of bending is. To kill. Fire, and especially it's perfected form as the pure energy of lightning are the most direct about it. _That's_ why it's the greatest of the bending arts! It's no coincidence that the first of the debased bendings to be purged from this world was the least suited for killing. Or that the next least suited is teetering on the edge of extinction as well, a handful of backwater savages desperately clinging for survival on their miserable icebergs. Only the strong who can kill get to survive and rule; weakling losers becoming their food and tribute, forced to live in the barren mountains and frozen wastes no one else wants!" _

"_What do you think all my training is going to be for anyway?! To heat the Earthbenders some tea while we whittle away the afternoon watching the cherry blossoms, prattling on about palace frivolities perhaps? Most gifted nobles don't have the luxury of letting our talent's languish so leisurely," remarked the daughter with cutting sarcasm, unable to keep the edge of contempt from tainting her words and glare._

_Unable to keep her fist from clenching, the mother fought to keep her cool as she replied, "Our duty is determined by our circumstances, and my primary duty is as a Mother. Which I can now see, by your insolent and unrepentant attitude, that I've been far too negligent in."_

"_Well, at least we can agree on one thing then," declared the daughter as she crossed her arms. "You're a failure as a Mother."_

_The Mother was taken aback by her daughter's words, both blunt and sharp at once, stabbing her in the heart. Her fist trembling, her first instinct was to strike her daughter again, this time with fire. Taken aback that she was capable of such violent impulses, she forced herself to pause. How had things spiraled out of control so quickly? She didn't want it to be like this between them. She couldn't just ignore her daughter's unacceptable behavior though. _

"_Perhaps you're right daughter," sighed the Mother as she took a deep breath, trying to deescalate, "but this isn't about me. It's about you. Just this once I'll overlook your inappropriate lack of respect for your parent. However, your callous lack of respect for the lives of others is unacceptable. Don't try and confuse the issue. Killing outside of battle and those who are no threat lacks honor and disgraces your power. Now if you'll just admit that what you did was wrong, I'll be willing to let it go for now and we can return to the palace without further incident," offered up the Mother._

_The daughter recognized that her Mother was offering them a way out from the volcano rim they were tumbling down. A part of her wanted to swallow her pride and take the diplomatic route. To go back to the affectionate teasing and comforting closeness. Such sentiments were surely a sign of weakness though. A cowardly desire to run away and avoid getting hurt. _

_She couldn't give up now that she was finally winning! It felt to the competitive daughter like her Mother was backing off in the face of her offense. Her last barb had really hit home; it'd been pushing it, but she'd seen the hurt look when she'd called her Mother a failure. For once she had actually been able to find a weak point on her seemingly invincible Mother. She was trying to retreat because she was afraid. That's right, she fears me now that she knows I can hurt her. Look at that disgusting pleading in her eyes, it reeks of weakness. I'll show you who's the stronger Mother! _

"_Why don't you admit that _you_ committed the greater wrong in ruining my Agni Kotan? This was supposed to be my special day," countered the daughter with defiant resentment. "I wish it had been Father here today and not you; he wouldn't have thrown such a fit. _He'd_ have been impressed by my aim."_

_The Mother could scarcely believe the sheer brazen chutzpah on display before her. Here she was offering forgiveness, and the little brat was throwing it back in her face, demanding that _she_ be the one to show throat. What nerve! "Your Father would have punished you long ago for your whining disobedience and back talk," hissed the incensed Mother. "When he hears of this-"_

"_Why don't you just do it yourself and finish what you've started?" challenged the daughter as she rubbed at her swollen cheek. "You're a coward, always making Father play the disciplinarian because you're too weak to punish me yourself!"_

_The backhand struck across her face forcefully enough to knock the daughter off her feet, her body making one half turn as she fell face down to the ground. "What did you call me daughter? Say it again and I'll grant your wish," threatened the Mother as she took a menacing step forward._

"_I said," repeated the daughter defiantly as she turned and propped herself up with one hand, the other clutching at her ringing head, "that you're a weakling, a coward who avoided her duty to- AHHHHGGGG!"_

_The Mother was still a few paces away from her, yet the daughter could feel the pain in her head, face, and neck flaring as her Mother held up one hand. "I know how much you desire power and secret techniques daughter. Very well then, I'll show you one of my clan's forbidden bendings, developed back in the time of Agni's First Inquisition. If you wish to learn then watch well and learn with your body's pain, for I'd sooner take this to the grave than teach it to a sadistic little monster like you. And don't think you'll be able to learn it from your Father either; this is one thing I am capable of that he lacks the fine tuned power for. Maybe now you'll at least learn some respect." _

"_Who do you think it was that taught me you were a weakling?" screamed the daughter through the increasingly inflamed pain. "Who do you think it is who has less respect for you than anyone else?!"_

"_What are you saying daughter? Do you expect me to believe-"_

"_Don't let her coddle you too much Azula," parroted the daughter, teeth gritted against the pain burning at her from the inside. "She'll make you weak like herself, like she's made your brother. She indulges him too much and it's spoiled him. Be careful that you don't let that happen to you, you don't want to disappoint your Father like your brother and mother have, do you?"_

_As soon as she said the word "Father" the pain abruptly ceased, her Mother collapsing to her knees in disbelief. "You're lying," whispered the Mother desperately. "You always lie… he wouldn't… wouldn't…"_

"_She could have been one of the greats Azula, but she was raised poorly by a weak disgraceful family," continued the daughter as she forced herself back to her feet. She was a little surprised at just how strong an effect her revelation was having on her Mother. Then again, the most powerful weapon was always secret information, something you knew that the enemy didn't, the trump card which could turn a losing battle in your favor. _

_A part of the daughter whispered that maybe she should stop now. That her Mother wasn't really an enemy who she needed to try and utterly crush. That if she kept going like this she was going to cross a point of no return very soon. The calculating part of her shrugged it off; as long as she had Father's backing the support of a weakling like her Mother was of no consequence. That's right, Father had been preparing her for this day, when she'd need to be strong enough to defeat her Mother's attempts to weaken her. _

"_They corrupted her with their pacifist ideals. While she may have outwardly repudiated them to gain political power, her heart is still tainted with her families old fashioned notions that keep her from her true potential. Do you know what's even more contemptible than being weak like your brother? Having the talent to become one of the strong, yet failing to achieve it." _

_The daughter paused as her Mother looked up at her, her tear filled eyes seeming to beg her to stop. Seeing the hurt on her Mother's face, the daughter felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe she really should let up. There was some dark and twisted place inside herself that compelled her to keep mercilessly pushing though. She had been hurt too, and she wanted to see just how much she could hurt back. Continuing to repeat her Father's words, she went for the kill:_

"_You've been blest with both mine and your Mother's talent Azula. With it you'll be able to become the greatest Fire Bender the world has seen, capable of defeating even a god like your Great Grandfather did, as long as you don't let your Mother infect you with the weakness that makes her so_ tiresome_." _

_The daughter could feel her Father's presence, as if he were standing behind her, watching with approval, one hand on her shoulder, as she emotionally eviscerated her Mother. That's right, this wasn't just a battle between her and Mother. She was fighting Father's battle as well, avenging not only her Agni Kotan, but also all the disappointments she now understood this woman had inflicted on him. She would be the instrument of his revenge then, as she was beginning to suspect he may have intended all along when he made her privy to his domestic displeasures._

_Looking up through her tears, the Mother could sense her husband powerful presence as well. The way her daughter had her arms crossed, that triumphant smirk on her face, they were the same as her Father's. With each cruel word uttered, the Mother could hear her husbands sinister voice echoing in her head. As her daughter looked down on her, it was her husbands contemptuous eyes she saw. Yet she could also see her own features mirrored in her daughter's face. It was horrible, like something out of a nightmare, looking at that dark reflection of everything that was worst in her husband and herself. _

"_It's not just Father who feels that way either," insinuated the daughter. "They won't say it to your face, but I'm sure you know that behind your back everyone at court says it's scandalous that a woman like you from a traitorous house was allowed to marry into the royal family. That the presence of a "noble" bender who selfishly avoided serving her country in the military dishonors and is an affront to the rest of the nobility who placed their house's talent in the service of the nation."_

"_That's not fair Azula," protested the Mother. "I wanted to enlist! It was Mother who forbade me!"_

"_Didn't she also forbid you from marrying Father?" asked the daughter with false innocence. "How convenient that you only betrayed her when it served your own interests. Has she written back yet any of the letters you always send her?"_

_The daughter's smirk was wiped off her face as her Mother glared at her. There was an expression in her eyes that the daughter never would have imagined she'd see from her mother; hate. And just as quickly it was replaced by something even worse; cold distance. "She's not the only Mother who can withdraw her affection," warned the Mother as she rose back to her feet, straightening herself back into a stiff dignity as she wiped her eyes dry._

_A wave of panic rushed over the daughter as the space between her and her Mother suddenly felt like it had widened into an uncrossable chasm. This wasn't supposed to happen. Her Mother wasn't allowed to retaliate like this was she?! "Don't stop loving me!" she wanted to cry out, to beg her Mother to forgive her, to take her back into her embrace and assure her that even after all the awful things they'd said to each other she was still and would always be her beloved daughter. But it was not in her proud nature to beg. _

"_Where do you think you're going young lady?" asked her Mother icily as her daughter turned her back on her._

"_I've wasted enough time here, I'm going to start my training with Father, at least he'll be able to teach me something worth learning," replied the daughter over her shoulder, hoping for any reaction from her Mother, anything besides this horrible coldness. _

_If her Mother felt any sting from her daughter's words, she gave no sign of it. "Don't get your hopes up. You'll have to wait for me to finish giving my report on your failed Agni Kotan to your Father, and we're going to be having a bit of a discussion regarding your training, among other "tiresome" topics."_

"_I didn't fail! You-"_

"_You failed to obey numerous instructions, you lied to try and make your self look better, you whined incessantly in a manner unbecoming of royal dignity, you continually back talked like an unmannered brat, you're too slow to enter a meditative state, your form is sloppy, you're easily tricked into lowering your guard, you lose your balance and even fall during simple basic kicks, you freeze up under pressure, you fail to think ahead about how you're leaving yourself open to enemy counterattacks, you lose control of your flames, you threatened and showed disrespect toward a parent and instructor, and you have a disturbing lack of self restraint," summarized the Mother._

"_Your Father won't be pleased to hear all of that, but as your instructor he needs to be aware of your dismal performance. I doubt when he gets through with you that you'll be in any shape to train today. Also daughter, as of now you are hereby forbidden from using your bending outside of training, until such a time as you've demonstrated more self restraint and respect for the right of others to not be arbitrarily torched."_

_The daughter felt a lump rise in her throat as her Mother walked past her without a glance. She could remember numerous times her Mother had intervened on her behalf so that Father would go easier on her. But now… "T-that's not fair Mother! You wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for that stupid bird! You know that you were pushing me really hard! Considering the difficulty I more than rose to your challenge! I achieved a deep trance. I counter bended fire, something that benders usually train for years before they even dare attempt! I put out a grass fire all at once! How many years did it take you to learn that?! Those are the things you should be telling Father!" Her Mother merely continued slowly walking away in cold silence._

"_Aren't you going to even scold me for back talking? Aren't you going to tell me to stop whining?! Isn't that part of your duty as a Mother? Are you- are you just giving up on being my Mother?!" asked the daughter, sniffling. She tried to suppress the undignified noise, it's sad tones failing to reach her Mother._

"_That's what you want, isn't it daughter?" replied the vexed Mother, neither halting nor looking back. "Apparently it's a waste of your time to be with a contemptible "tiresome" woman like me, who you've decided has nothing worth teaching you. What's the point of trying to correct you when you obviously don't listen to anything I say. Very well, I'll try not to waste too much of your or my time in the future."_

"_But- but that's not-" whispered the daughter, her view of her Mother's back suddenly becoming blurred. "Fine! You're right!" yelled the daughter. "Why would I want to spend time with a tiresome relic that's outlived her usefulness?! Go jump in a volcano for all I care! In fact, it'd be better for everyone if you just disappeared!" _

"_Are you listening to me?! Father only married you because Grandfather ordered it to get the power in your blood! Since he's planning to give the throne to Iroh, he decided to use Father's line to create the perfect warrior and general, capable of defeating even the Avatar!" _

" _That's not all though! Grandfather's crafty, and he knows how ambitious Father is, so he decided what better way to weaken Father's standing than saddling him with a disgraceful wife with no wealth or useful political connections!" screamed the daughter, putting one hand to the side of her mouth to better project her rant at her Mother's retreating back. _

"_You're just a weight around Father's and all our necks! Even Zuko is being dragged down by your excessive indulging of him! Now that you given birth to the future greatest Fire Bender, there's no reason for your continued disgraceful presence at the court! You should just disappear!!"_

"_So, is that how you both really feel about me?" whispered the Mother to herself, blinking back the tears, determined not to shame herself by breaking down in front of her daughter again. Once she got back to the privacy of her own bedchamber though…_

_Panting, her throat hoarse and hurting from her screaming fit and the lump she was trying to force down, the daughter collapsed to her knees as her Mother disappeared from view. She'd won right? She hadn't backed down and the enemy had been injured enough that she'd left the field to her. So why did this "victory" feel so hollow? Listlessly surveying the territory ceded to her, eyes passing over the burnt out grass and the grisly remains of a dead bird, the little girl suddenly felt very very alone. The sun shone down coldly, the only witness to the solitary huddled figure sobbing on the hillside. _

_That was the last time we dared try get so close to each other, _remembered the Fire Princess, her past tears streaming into the present.

_I'll show you and Ozai that I'm not as weak as you thought, that I can be strong and do what needs to be done for the sake of our nation, _thought the She-Bear as she forced her injured body back to its feet, her inner fire reviving with her determination, ready to confront yet another stubborn child foolishly standing in her way.

_***_

Katara: [_places hand on Azula's left cheek, right below her eye/s which she's looking into_] You're like you're brother aren't you? You've both been scarred, only yours isn't as visible.

Azula: [_looks away uncomfortably] _Don't compare me to that pitiable loser. We're not at all alike!

Katara: [_drops hand, smirks_] True, in his case he didn't actually have it coming.

Zuko: Oooh, burn!

Azula: You are both going to die. Slowly.

Next:

Katara vs. Ursa  
while Azula hovers  
between life and death

Chapter 20  
The Witch vs. the She-Bear


	20. The Witch vs the SheBear

Chapter 20  
**The Witch vs. the She-Bear**

Twas late into the night at the Fire Nation capital. None were sleeping however. The streets thronged with frightened citizens pointing in alarm at the flames coming from the upper caldera, trying to keep their balance as the rumblings from the ancient volcano shook the city to its foundations.

Many, convinced the end was nigh, tried to make their way, pushing, shoving, and trampling, to the harbor. All the militia and most of the navy officers had already been recalled to the palace, leaving precious little to enforce the veneer of order over the savagery that emerges when it's every man for himself. Several ships ended up ablaze in the heated arguments over who might obtain passage. The remaining ships began pulling away only partially filled, their captain's cursing that they couldn't risk haggling out any more exorbitant fares, the mobs left stranded on the dock begging and screaming for them to come back.

Others turned to prayer. In this dark hour their God was hidden from them. So they fell to their knees and prayed to their God-Emperor, that he might be victorious against the Avatar and save the capital. One wondered if they would have uttered the old forbidden prayers for the Avatar if they had know the true irony of their situation.

Deep in the royal catacombs which lay within the trembling volcano, the battle for the capital continued to rage…

*

"Your ruthless daughter saved my life after I nearly killed her, I owe her that debt of honor!" explained Katara as she pressed her attack, driving the wounded She-Bear back toward a pile of boulders so she could hopefully freeze her bending limbs in place.

"If she did, it was because she believed she could use you, and it's working," observed Ursa as she gave ground. "And you're speaking to a woman who's irredeemably sacrificed her honor many times over," warned the Fire Lady, hooking a flame punch toward Katara.

"That's not true! I can tell you still care about honor, just like in spite of everything you still care about your daughter!" declared Katara as she dodged the flame. "Your son Zuko said it himself; "honor is something you can always earn back for yourself by choosing to do what's right." Neither you nor your daughter is irredeemable! You can still do the right thing and stop this fight!" Ursa gasped as Katara's water tube snaked up her arm. While the She-Bear's skill was fearsome, she had no experience fighting against a bender whose attacks she couldn't bend herself. Pulling forward, the water bender forced the imperial Fire Lady to her knee. Freezing the fire bender's forearm to the ground, Katara pulled the rest of her water back for another strike.

"Such wishful naivety will be your undoing child," seethed Ursa, indignant at being brought low by such a vulgar wet behind the ear girl. Since the battle against her daughter had begun, even when it looked like she would have to fight two on one, it had been inconceivable to her that she might not have won. But now, in her severely injured and restrained state, it was dawning on Ursa that the inconceivable just might occur. And that was unacceptable. She would not lose to children. She had to assume Azula could strike at any moment, which meant the poor foolish Witch had to be dealt with as quickly as possible.

Ursa tried to counter the incoming attack by meeting it head on with a steady jet of flames from her free arm. Her powerful flames had always been capable of overpowering all but her husband's fire, but water behaved much differently, extinguishing the Fire Lady's attack as it plowed through it and grabbed her limb.

Katara prepared to yank Ursa's arm down beside the first, but this time the She-Bear was ready for her. Inhaling as she yanked her arm back, Ursa pulled Katara off balance, causing her to stumble forward. She'd already had to move in closer to make up for the water length lost freezing one limb, bringing her dangerously close to the She-Bear. Exhaling, a fiery breath issued forth from Ursa's mouth. Katara wasn't the only one surprising her foe with new tricks.

Letting go of the Fire Lady's arm, Katara desperately brought her water back to try and stop Ursa's draconian assault. For a moment the water shield held, but it didn't take the sustained attack long to breach her defenses. Screaming in pain, Katara fell to the ground, doubled over her burnt torso. Ursa was meanwhile already using her freed hand to melt the ice which pinned her.

*

_Azula!_

From far away, someone was calling her. A feminine voice. Mother? Had she slept in? That wasn't like her at all. Yesterday had been horribly draining though. The Fire Princess tried to stir, but her body felt too heavy to move. The effort made her dimly aware of a burning ache that seemed to run all throughout her body. Father's punishment must have been harsher than she thought. Azula was certain trying to rise would only make the pain worse. Her efforts ceased as she waited for the dark solace of sleep to return, hoping for no more awful dreams and accusing watchers to torment her.

_Azula might have survived too! Let me past the flames! _

Flames? Survived? A sense of urgency suddenly struck Azula, but as she tried to make sense of those distant words a sharp pain in her head derailed her thoughts. Frustrated, the Fire Princess tried to just remember whom that familiar voice belonged to. It had a motherly quality to it, and seemed concerned for her, but it wasn't mothers. Right, mother didn't care for her. She hadn't even said goodbye before disappearing. To Zuko of course, but not her. For Zuko, Mother wanted her to disappear.

Wait! Disappear?! _That's right Azula, it'd be best for everyone if a monster like you just disappeared back into the darkness. Go back to sleep my child. I'll sing you a lullaby. _

I don't want to sleep! Azula had a feeling dozing off would be a very bad idea. But her Mother's gently singing voice was so soothing, spreading itself over her like a heavy blanket, softly smothering her back towards unconsciousness.

_I've got to listen to the other voice! _thought Azula desperately. To the other mother. The one who cared. Please let me hear your voice again! I can't hold on much longer! Damn, if she could just remember who's voice that was… Witch! The Water Witch. That was the voice's owner.

Except that still wasn't enough. She was sure the Witch was someone important, but she couldn't remember who it was. The title seemed like it should be menacing, but for some reason Azula found the thought of the Water Witch, whomever she was, reassuring. _I have a name you know. _Heh, you're such a presumptuous peasant Katara, thought the Fire Princess, the corner of her mouth turning up in a slight smile. And then the memories came rushing back like a flood.

Meeting the exotic dark skinned girl in Omashu. Their skirmishes in the Earth Kingdom ghost town and at the Great Wall of Ba Sing Se. Their first true one on one during the epic battle for the Earth Kingdom Capital. The humbling realization that there was a peer whose bending power could best hers. Whose incredible talent shined brightly even in the dark hour of the Avatar and Ba Sing Se's fall. Talent and power enough to steal her complete victory over the Avatar, bringing him back from the dead.

"_I'll make sure you never harm anyone important to me ever again Azula!" _Another desperate fight. The Witch violating her with her brutal power, trying to kill her. Their chi clashing inside her body. Nervously; "_…earlier you said we "touched souls"… I was wondering what you fel… I mean, what you saw?"_

I wasn't completely honest with you Witch, smirked Azula. The glimpse she'd caught of a fathomless wellspring of power and strength. A determination and will that rivaled her own. And that wasn't dependant on a monstrous and lately unstable narcissism. Much as she hated to admit it, Azula was starting to realize she wasn't anywhere near that strong in the face of despair. Without the Witch's support she would have crumbled in the face of recent defeats and betrayals.

In contrast, there was the incredible courage and nobility the unbendable bender had shown staring down death_. "You want to see me prostrate myself before you? Fine, but it won't be to beg for my life." _Such a proud fiery defiance even in defeat. It made her even more fun to torment and wrap around her finger than Zuzu. _"Then don't poke them!" "I owe you… I owe you at least that much," conceded the captive as she lowered her eyes. _Mmmm.

As the memories and images of Katara filled her mind, they slowly displaced the sound of her Mother's somnolent lullaby, drowning it out. The heaviness weighing her down began to dissipate as an unfamiliar sensation of warmth and lightness spread out from within her breast.

"Foolish child, you just don't know when to quit for your own good."

Azula's eyes snapped open. She knew that voice too! It was the tone Mother used when her patience was exhausted. Azula had learned at a young age to attend to that specific pitch and stop whatever she was doing, otherwise punishment would be imminent. Azula's punishment struck immediately, pain flooding her body as she came back to herself and realized she was on fire.

_She's not talking to me though_. Azula gritted her teeth, rolling back and forth to smother the flames as she bent the surrounding blaze away from her. _She's going to kill Katara. _

***

Next [Omake]:

Azula: All right bitches, Azula's back, and she's hella pissed!

Ursa-Chibi: Young Lady! That's no way for a proper princess to talk! Now wash your mouth out. And then get back here so I can finish killing you.

Azula-Chibi: * gargle gargle* Aw mom! But it looked so cool when Katara did it. *gargle gargle*

Ursa-Chibi: And see what it got her?

Katara-Chibi: Medic…

Azula-Chibi: *spit* You _are_ the medic dum-dum.

Chapter 21:  
Burning Blood


	21. Burning Blood

Chapter 21  
**Burning Blood**

The ice around her arm weakening, Ursa tore her limb free from the ground, shattering the frozen water which had bound her. Fear gripped Katara as she the She-Bear rose back to her feet, grimly fixing the fallen water bender with her displeased gaze. Katara knew she had to move _now_, but as she tried to take action an even more debilitating pain flared up throughout her body.

Ursa had finally managed to established the fine tuned lock she needed, the recent massive injury she'd inflicted on Katara having been immensely helpful for zeroing in. "I've heard that water benders can wash away pain, cooling the inflammation that burns inside all injuries," mentioned Ursa as she began to move her hands and fingers, slowly at first, then faster and faster, as if she were stoking a great blaze. "Did you know an elite fire bender can do the opposite, fanning the body's own inflammation? This horrific technique of blood bending should have remained sealed, but you left me little choice."

"Blood bendi…?! AAAHHHHGGGG!" Even speech became near impossible for Katara as the pain inside her flared like an out of control wildfire, burning at her from the inside. It was like reliving all the wounds she'd suffered, but simultaneously and with far greater intensity. The shoulder Azula had shot, her battered face and the rest of her body which had been repeatedly knocked to the ground, the razor cuts along her back from the ice shrapnel, the impact from when the Fire Princess had punched her in the stomach and face, her hand and knee where Ursa had struck her with the flame darts, and most of all the severe burns from the She-Bears breath attack; all these injuries felt like they'd suddenly been reignited, their flames growing unbearably white hot as Ursa whipped them to more furious heights.

Indeed, her body was becoming fuel for that blazing pain. Overwhelmed by the inflammation, Katara's own immune system began to attack her; macrophages going into a rage filled feeding frenzy and blinding biting into the nearest injured tissue, rending it and even each other apart like sharks in blood filled water. This only made the inflammation worse, enraging the immune systems response even further, in a horrible feedback loop of self destruction. "Make it stop! Please make it stop!" begged Katara as everything went red and she curled up into a convulsing ball of pain.

The Fire Lady was taken aback. She'd never used her blood bending full force against someone, let alone a target with such severe injuries, and the results were as effective as they were unhinging. _So this is why the technique was forbidden,_ thought Ursa guiltily. There were some powers mortals were not meant to wield. _What have I allowed myself to become?_

"_A monster,"_ came a voice from somewhere behind her. Ursa glanced quickly behind her, trying to spot her accuser. "_Just like your husband and daughter. You all belong burning together in Hell. I didn't teach you our clans secret techniques so you could torture children." _Ursa frantically looked over her other shoulder, but try as she might, she couldn't make out where her Mother was.

_I can't afford _this_ right now! _Thought the Fire Lady as she shook her head to clear it, brining her focus back to the writhing victim before her. Supposedly the attack could even kill if maintained long enough, but the thought made Ursa sick to her stomach. There was no need for such cruelty. The Witch was vulnerable enough now for the _coup de grâce_.

Without a word the Fire Lady quickly struck inward with both hands, her arms crossing over each other. While the pain was no longer being actively fanned inside Katara, she was still in no condition to defend herself from the flames rushing in from both sides. The water bender clenched her eyes shut tighter as she felt the inrush of heat.

No flames struck her however. Instead she heard Ursa gasp in surprise. Katara opened her eyes and saw that the flames had been redirected, making a V line straight for the Fire Lady. Grimacing at the incoming blaze, Ursa quickly crossed her arms even further as she stepped back, bending the angle of the flames enough that they formed an X, intersecting right in front of her and passing narrowly by on each side.

The She-Bear began to sweat, her view obscured by the fire. Her bloodshot eyes twitched a few times as she glared at the flames which had turned against her. She could feel an old and all too familiar paranoia starting to claw at the edge of her consciousness.

_That was too close! _thought Ursa, the nails of one arm beginning to dig at the other, a row of deepening red gashes emerging in their wake. Despite how distant the other bender must have been, they'd easily wrested control of the flames. The will she'd felt within the enemies' bending had been unbelievably strong and focused. She'd barely been able to redirect the flames to save herself. Could that really have been Azula? Whose chi had been so violently unstable and easy to counter-bend before? Who if she'd survived should be severely injured as well? Surely not. Perhaps the Avatar. Or maybe Mother was really…

"Weak as always Mother. You didn't put everything you had behind it," came a challenge from somewhere beyond the flames. "I'll admit I've done some pretty awful things, but never something so over the top as to make someone scream for mercy like that. Congratulations Mother, you've exceeded even my taste for cruelty." Azula had meant to deliver the last line with her customary taunting haughtiness. Ursa could detect an edge of angry indignation underneath it however. It was easy to recognize, it was the tone she herself used when disgusted. For a moment the Fire Lady was struck by the fascination every parent has when they see a part of themselves reflected in their child. But this was no time for such sentiments.

"We sin according to the opportunities our power affords us," replied the Fire Lady, maintaining outer composure despite her increasing internal imbalance. "The only reason you won't burn millions is because Zuko destroyed your airship fleet. One shudders to think what else you'd be capable of if you take the throne."

Katara couldn't believe she was actually relived to hear that familiar condescending tone. Turning her head, Katara saw Azula emerge from the surrounding inferno, the flames roaring away on either side as if in deference to their master. While she looked worse for wear physically, her stride and the dangerous gleam in her eyes radiated her old commanding confidence.

"Azula! Are you all right?"

"Of course I am Witch, I'm not the one screaming like a stuck chicken-swine with her head cut off. [__what_ did she just call me?!_] This is no time to be slacking off!" reprimanded the Fire Princess. Katara felt a flush of embarrassment as Azula looked over her fallen form slightly longer than necessary with amusedly affected disgust, as if to say _what are you doing still lazing about on the ground anyway?! _

"On your feet Witch! Mother's weak enough now that she can't fend us both off at the same time! You take her left, I'll take her right!" Ordered Azula, motioning with a quick jerk of her head and hand signals that she actually intended to take the left, and wanted Katara to circle around behind Ursa.

Katara grimly nodded, heading for the opening Azula created for her in the flames, trying to not think about what she was probably going to soon be culpable to. She didn't like the idea of using lethal force, but that hadn't exactly worked out well for her. And there was no question anymore whether the Fire Lady was fighting no holds barred. Still, she hoped they could somehow end this with out anyone getting killed. The odds were looking increasingly bleak though. It was unnerving that she wasn't sure who that referred to. _No, I can't afford to be unsure. I've got to believe in Azula and that I'm doing the right thing. I can't hesitate for a moment._

She didn't exactly like taking orders from the Princess either, but it seemed like trusting in the prodigies' strategic ability offered the best chances for now. She certainly didn't believe either of them stood a chance against the Fire Lady separately. Fire and ice would somehow have to work in harmony.

***

Next:

Chapter 22  
Phoenix


	22. Phoenix

Chapter 22  
**Phoenix**

All the elements were converging in the Air Nomad youth. The earth heated by fire, until it became as a liquid, coursing through his meridians, burning his spirit from the inside out.

It felt as though he was dissolving before the painful magma that washed over him. His senses overloaded, the Avatar couldn't distinguish if it was just his consciousness fading away, or if his form and spirit were following as well. It seemed as if all three were melting together, dissolving into the elemental stream. Even time seemed to be collapsing into the One as Aang watched his life flow by.

Most recently: _"A fitting futile end for the "all elements and all people in one" nonsense of the Avatar." _Smug triumphant contempt. Incomparable exultation, intense enough to make one shudder. The ultimate sense of superiority that comes with crushing someone and all they care about under the heel. _He's wrong though_, realized Aang, else why was he able to sense what the Fire Lord felt?

Another soul was nearby. The Avatar felt a familiar large fuzzy warmth greet him as he fell back. Perhaps it wasn't so bad to die, if one could see old friends again. Aang smiled as he watched all of his and Appa's memories fly by, all the way back to their bonding ceremony at the Southern Air Temple. Dismounting, the young monk began to look around. If all souls were connected, then maybe he could find Gyatso in this place.

_"We're all connected. Everything is connected."_

_"Yes, the greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same." _Turning around, Aang found himself at the top of the Eastern Air Temple, under the vast starry heavens with Guru Pathik.

"You were right!" exclaimed the Avatar with youth's breathless excitement at a new discovery. "Even people's souls are connected! It's like I can sense the spirits of everyone I've met in my life. With some of them it's hard to even tell where my soul stops and theirs begins. Which was pretty disturbing with the Fire Lord, but felt all warm and fuzzy with Appa. How come you're here though? You didn't die did you?" asked Aang worriedly as he tried to surreptitiously look Pathik over for any signs of old age's degradation.

"You are so close my ex-pupil, yet still so far," replied the Guru with a note of amusement, though he quickly turned solemn again. "You are stuck thinking of your spirit as you do your body; bounded and finite. Think you that my soul is bound to one place, inside my flesh? You can feel it now how your soul spreads out beyond yourself."

"But that's because I'm dead isn't it? It feels like my spirit and mind are spreading themselves out because they're being melted back into the lifeblood of the world. Am I… is my awareness of my self going to melt away soon too?"

"What is melting away is not your spirit, but the illusions around it. Like opening your sixth chakra, if you let the illusions flow away the light of truth will shine through."

"Are you saying that the soul has no border? That all souls spread out over the entire world and are really one?" asked Aang in disbelief.

"How else is my soul capable of being both here _and_ inside my body at the same time? Think of the soul like Air; it is an invisible weightless substance inside your body which sustains it, yet also surrounds you. Does that make sense Avatar?" asked Guru Pathik patiently.

"Sure, I may not know much about souls, but in some circles I'm considered one of the leading authorities on Air," joked Aang.

"Well then, were does the air that surrounds you stop? Do you think of the air that you breathe and surrounds you as being separate from the air around others?"

"No, not really. The monks always taught that it was all the same continuous Air, spreading itself out and giving life freely to both King and slave. That we're breathing the same air as had been breathed throughout time by the first Lion Turtles, Badger Moles, Dragons, and Sky Bi… oh!" exclaimed Aang as he felt a familiar large nose nuzzle against him. And suddenly it felt like the universe was falling in on him.

From far away he could hear Pathik still instructing him. "If your training as a monk had not been tragically cut short, those teachings on the nature of Air would have formed the gateway for your training on the nature of the soul…" The guru's voice grew fainter as the familiar faces of friends and foes swam before Aang, slowing blurring into a warm presence that resonated directly with Aang's heart, beyond sight, words, and all mortal senses.

_"Welcome back young monk,"_ came the greeting's of his people, sensed more than heard. "_It's been a long time Avatar Aang." _Aang could sense all of the air nomads here; not just the other monks he'd grown up with in the Southern Air Temple, but all the Nomads who had ever lived, North/East/South/West, all the way back to founding of the four temples.

"_Gyatso… Avatar Yangchen… e-everyone…" _choked Aang, overwhelmed. It felt like returning home after a century long journey, to a home he thought he'd never see again. A deep sense of belonging grew factorially within him as he felt himself reconnecting to his people. "_Now that our last child is here, we are complete. Our race may end with you, but here, we still exist as one people. Our affinity connects us, our souls reverberating in harmony with each other for all time. You've fought and suffered long enough gentle Avatar, now you may come and rest with us."_

Tear filled eyes closing, Aang ached to rejoin his people. But he wasn't the only one fighting, suffering… and crying. In a jarring flash, a different insistent call caught his attention. *SLAP*

"C'mon you idiot, I said wake up!" Aang found his sight hovering over his severely seared body, which was being angrily shaken by Toph.

"Damnit, don't do this to me Twinkle Toes! How can you ask me to watch your back and then leave your front wide open?! We still need you, so stop fooling around and get back here already!" yelled the blind earthbender as she smashed her little fist into the ground, instantly creating a wide crater.

"Lady Bei Fong!" commanded the Dai Li captain as he dodged the rock shrapnel unleashed by her temper. "What we need is _you_ to lead us. You're duty to those still living comes fir-" The Dai Li agent gulped as Toph shot him a murderous tear streaked glare. Drowning in lava was starting to look pretty good in comparison to confronting her.

Turning back to Aang's still form, Toph sensed for a pulse as thoroughly as only she could. It was no good; his heart had completely stopped. _I'm not letting you off so easily Twinkle Toes! Don't think you can avoid me chewing you out! _Taking a deep breath, Toph placed her mouth over Aang's, breathing air back into him as she pinched his nose shut. _You're a fucking air bending master, so breathe already!_ For a small girl, she had quite the healthy pair of lungs, Aang's chest rising as she forced her second breath into him.

Covering her arms in stone as she slid down to straddle Aang's waist, Toph placed both her rock hands over Aang's heart. The Avatar suddenly gasped as Toph forcefully compressed his chest, feeling a sudden resonance in his heart and root chakra. With each thrust of her hands, the feeling built stronger between his root and heart. _I… don't… want… to…_

"You hear me Twinkle toes?! I'm not going to let you _die!_" yelled Toph as she desperately pressed downward, breaking several of Aang's ribs. _I *owtch (not so rough Toph!)*… want… to… _"You're going to _live!"_

Aang gasped as the chi of his root Chakra suddenly flared, it's primal red energy overflowing from his heart and the top of his head. For a moment Aang felt like he and Toph were one, with each other and the world. Then the world snapped like an eleven dimension Calabi-Yauic rubber band, flipping upside down as he turned inside out back toward the center of his ego.

Ozai laughed manically as he watched the Avatar's spirit writhe in pain. His laughter was cut short as Aang suddenly began to glow, a red light, flowing through his tattoos and turning pure white as it flowed out his eyes and the crown of his head.

"Impossible! No one could survive that!" snarled the Fire Lord as he sent another blast of magma at the Avatar.

Whirling back to his feet with a gust of ethereal air, Aang held up one hand, bringing the surging lava to a halt.

"H-how? You were completely helpless before-" grimaced the Fire Lord, sweating as he strained to force the lava forward.

"All the elements are One," stated the Avatar, pushing forward with his second hand and sending the lava hurtling back toward the Fire Lord, who barely dodged out of the way. "And now I know what that One is. And I'm going to send you back to it Ozai. Prepare yourself."

***

Next:

Chapter 23  
The Tide Turns


	23. The Tide Turns

Chapter 23  
**The Tide Turns**

Hastily falling back, Ursa knew her two enemies were nearby and closing in. While the flames obscured her view, she had extended her senses and felt Azula parting the flames for both her and the waterbender. She had to take one of them out quickly before they could catch her in their pincer attack. And it was going to have to be the water child.

She'd proven herself far too dangerous. Ursa could always counterbend her daughter's attacks, but the Witch's were much harder to avoid. The lack of counterbending worked both ways though; unlike Azula, the water bender would be unable to sense and defend herself from the flames she wouldn't see coming until it was too late, and thus was the weak link. Once the attempt to outflank fell apart dispatching Azula would be easy enough.

The Fire Lady grabbed the nearby wall of flame with her bending, then violently rolled her hands to the left, intensifying the blaze as she 'toppled' it over onto the onrushing attacker. Turning then quickly to her right to face Azula, she was caught off guard as Azula instead broke through _on her left_, both hands brought back as she parted her Mother's attack out of her way.

"You should know better by now than to trust what I say," smirked Azula as she sent a flame arc at her Mother. Already anticipating Ursa's sidestep to the left, Azula followed up with a short flame lash from her other hand. Ready to launch her own attack, Ursa gasped as it was halted by a cold wetness wrapping around her arm from behind. With a flick of her wrist, Katara yanked as hard as she could in the reverse direction, a sickening snap ringing out as the torque broke the Fire Lady's right arm at the shoulder joint.

"Give it up!" shouted Katara as the Fire Lady flinched back from a direct hit of Azula's flame lash. "You're outnumbered!"

"That you are," hissed the She-Bear. "It's still my three bending limbs against you two children. And I can beat the both of you with one arm broke behind my back."

"Brave words Mother, but it's over now," declared Azula as she moved in for the kill, relishing the site of her Mother's blood being flung from her arm as she spun toward Katara. Ursa was using the momentum the water bender's attack had given her, flowing with it into a spinning attack. Hooking a leading flame punch toward the Witch, she ducked low at her pivot point, avoiding Azula's similar attack.

"Hey, watch who you're aiming at!" yelled Katara, dodging both flame punches as she brought her water back for another strike. At that moment, the Fire Lady snapped her fingers. Azula's eyes widened in surprise as the blood she'd been looking forward to suddenly ignited, splattering her with flaming liquid. Tilting her head and forcing a quick exhalation to the left, Ursa also caught Katara with a quick flame jet from her ear straight to the Witch's eye. Clutching at her burnt cornea, Katara screamed in pain.

Both her enemies vulnerable, the She-Bear continued spinning back toward Azula. Pivoting, she exploded out of her crouch with terrifying speed, catching her daughter full force with a devastating spinning roundhouse. The wind was knocked out of the Fire Princess and her body sent flying until she slammed into a rock pillar with a bone cracking smash. Finishing up, Ursa followed through with a back snap kick, catching Katara with a downward arc of flaming energy. The Fire Lady's foot touched down quick and elegantly to the floor before the bodies of her enemies had even finished crashing to the ground.

***

Collapsed Azula-chibi: Okay, maybe that whole parley retreat thing would have been a good idea.

Collapsed Katara-chibi: Ya think?!

Next:

"That's enough Mother! Please stop it! You've beaten her already!"

"Have I? She still seems to be breathing, if her unbecoming whimpering is any indication."

"Please don't do this. I… I don't want to die…!"

"You should have thought of that _before _you challenged the Empress of the world's mightiest nation. To fight is to always wager your life! When my life ended five years ago I finally realized too late what had really mattered in it. And it wasn't having married the most powerful man in the world. Or having become the most powerful lady in the Fire Nation, capable of deciding the fate of kings. I wonder daughter, what can you see worthwhile now that you stand before the abyss as well?"

"…n-nothing…" _I'm going to die here with nothing to show for it._ _All my life and ambitions will come to naught! That's just so… so… _

Chapter 24  
View from the Edge of the Abyss

_Let me at least find something I can do that will matter…_


	24. View From the Edge of the Abyss

Chapter 24  
**View from the Edge of the Abyss**

Azula was used to inspiring dread in others. Controlling them through the universal fear of death. What she was _not_ used to was having fear control her. But she was learning, quickly. The meaning of abject terror. The all consuming dread that possesses prey when cornered by a superior predator.

Barely rolling out of the way of a massive flame blast, the Fire Princess scrambled to get behind the rock pillar like a rabbit-mouse fleeing a charging sabertooth-moose, ducking behind the cover just in time to avoid the second flame blast which exploded against the ground, showering the cowering girl with debris as she curled up and clutched her head in terrified disbelief.

_How did this happen?!_ She knew both her and the Witch were good. Very good. Among the best in the world. They should have been an unbeatable team. Her plan had even worked perfectly, fooling her Mother and leaving her extremely vulnerable. And yet in a blink of the eye, Ursa had turned the tables like a Pai Sho master attaining the Divine Move, tearing through them like they were nothing. _I… I can't beat her! _realized Azula in panic. _I've got to get out of here! She's going to kill us! Wait, "us"? …Katara!_

All Katara could think of was the burning pain in her eye and how she needed to douse it _immediately._ One hand covering the injury, she surrounded the other with healing water. Reaching to soothe the pain, a blazing boot suddenly stomped down on her hand! Katara screamed as her palm was pinned underneath the white hot foot, evaporating the water her injured body was crying out for. Any hope of relief was dashed as another flaming foot stomped brutally down, shattering Katara's metal flask and driving its shrapnel into her side, evaporating the last of her water.

"Stop it Mother! You've won already!" yelled Azula above Katara's screams, watching in horror the brutal disarming of the waterbender. To the Fire Princess' surprise, she wasn't enjoying in the slightest this display of ruthless efficiency or Katara's pain filled cries. In fact, for some reason they were acutely distressing. It must have been because of how desperate the situation was and how much she needed the waterbender, Azula told herself. A dead Katara wasn't going to be of much help, and the Fire Princess needed all the help she could get.

If only she'd taken Katara up on the offer to cover her retreat. She probably could have escaped while the Witch delayed her Mother, and Ursa probably wouldn't have killed the water bender at that point. _This is my fault,_ thought the Fire Princess with a twinge of… just what was this unfamiliar and unpleasant feeling anyway?! _Damn you Witch and these useless emotions you inflicted on me! I don't have time for self recrimination; I need to come up with a plan to get us out of here! _

Ursa's only response to Azula's plea was a slight raise of her eyebrow as she glanced at her daughter, still mostly hiding behind the safety of her rock pillar. "RRAAAHHH!" screamed Katara in pain filled rage, taking advantage of the distraction to try and knock the She-Bear off her with a snap sweep kick. Without looking, Ursa removed her foot from the Witch's side and smashed it full flame into Katara's knee. The water bender gritted her teeth to keep from crying out again as she felt the hyper extension then bone crunching snap of the joint. Looking down in shock, she started to tremble as she saw the unnatural angle her broken leg was hanging at.

"That's enough Mother! Please stop it! You don't need to use your flames anymore! You've beaten her already!" begged the Fire Princess.

"Have I?" replied the Fire Lady coldly. "She still seems to be breathing, if her unbecoming whimpering is any indication," baited Ursa, her good hand poised threateningly toward Katara.

"She's a lesser bender, without inner fire like us. You've disarmed her; she's not a threat anymore! There's no need to kill her!" implored Azula. "Sure, she's an obnoxious self righteous do-gooder without enough to sense to know when to stay out of other people's business, but she doesn't deserve to die for that!"

"Earlier you looked down on me for not being ruthless enough. And now daughter, you presume to lecture me on the value of mercy?" replied an unimpressed Ursa. "Weren't you the one who told me I 'should know better than to trust what you say?' See daughter, eventually your reputation and lies catch up to you. Tragically, even if you are sincere, it's too late for others to believe you. By your own words, your assurance that she's harmless means I should assume the opposite… and act accordingly."

"Isn't it… isn't it a little late for all this moral instruction crap mother?!" cried out Azula as she looked away in frustration. "How can we learn from our mistakes unless you let us survive them?!"

"That's always been your problem Azula, you only can see value in that which advances toward a goal. You contemptuously sweep away everything else along the way; family, friends, feelings, noble conduct, never understanding that they can have value unto themselves."

"You know what I learned when my life came to an end five years ago? In that timeless purgatory there was nothing to do but reflect, and looking back on it all, those were the only things that actually mattered. Having married the most powerful man in the world, having become the most powerful lady in the Fire Nation, capable of deciding the fate of kings, none of that mattered in the end. I wonder daughter, what can you see worthwhile now that you stand before the abyss as well?"

"N-nothing…" whispered Azula as her Mother's words sank in, like a hopelessly crushing weight, pushing her slowly under the murky depths. _I'm going to die here with nothing to show for it._ _All my life and ambitions will come to naught! That's just so… so…_

"It doesn't have to end this way Mother," said Azula desperately, grasping at straws, "You've made your point. Spare our lives and I'll promise to not seek Zuko's," offered the Fire Princess, surprised to find herself wondering if she really meant it.

"How gullible do you think I am daughter?" asked Ursa, insulted. "You offer what I already have in my power to guarantee with far more certainty than your word, which we've already established is that of a _liar_," the last word was spat out with particular distaste.

"And never trust those who only try and negotiate once their back is against the wall; they're the kind of dishonorable scorpion-rats who will say anything to save their skin, then sting you in the back. We both know that you'll seize the next opportunity that presents itself to take the throne from your brother. I'm not exactly in a condition to take prisoners either. Especially such difficult children who've already proven quite a handful, which thanks to your little witch friend I'm a bit short on at the moment. It doesn't appear she's in any condition to walk out of our family graveyard either. This ends here," pronounced the Fire Lady.

Trembling on the ground, burnt, battered, and broken, Katara weakly tugged at the hem of the Fire Lady's robe, imploring her, "Please… please don't do this. She's only fourteen!" begged the water bender, her blue eyes looking up pleadingly into Ursa's hard set gold.

"She's still got so much potential and life ahead of her! She deserves the chance to choose whether to try and do something better with it now that she's free from her Father's command. If she chooses to still make trouble we can deal with that when it happens, but don't you owe it to your own daughter to at least give her that chance before condemning her?"

_Is that what you're throwing your life away for Witch? I thought you were smarter than that,_ thought Azula as she watched in bewilderment Katara's earnest pleading, not for her own sake, but on the Fire Princesses' behalf. _I don't deserve this from you_. _Father left the throne to me, and I'll crush you and any of your friends who try and keep me from it._ These thoughts came unbidden, with an equally unwelcome sense of shame. The Fire Princess clutched at her suddenly aching heart, trying to suppress the tumultuous and unfamiliar emotions welling up within her.

She hated this. Feeling so helpless. It was bad enough that she was powerless against her Mother, reduced to cowering behind her cover, unable to defeat or reason with her. But now she couldn't even control her own mind and feelings. And _that_ may have terrified Azula even more than her implacable Mother.

She'd always used to be in control. No wildly unchecked emotions to disrupt the sharp focus of her thoughts. Her calculating supple mind able to coolly grasp the solution to any situation she might find herself in. She'd prided herself on her ability to plan many moves ahead while her barbed tongue enflamed her enemies' short sighted emotion. That was supposed to be Zuko's weakness. Not hers.

Mother was right about her and Zuko, wasn't she? The throne rightly belonged to her, damnit! Father had even said he was going to make her Fire Lord. And if claiming her inheritance meant she had to kill her brother… _"_If_ I have to kill Zuko?" What am I thinking! I want to kill him, right? He betrayed both me and Father! He seduced Mai away from me! After everything I did to restore his honor and bring our sundered family back together! Everything would have ended up perfect if it wasn't for his betrayal! _

Ursa's hard eyes wavered for a moment as she met Katara's pleading gaze. "You wouldn't understand water child. Your people are as pure as spring's first glacial runoff, content to go with the flow. But where has that led them and you? A ruler can not sit back and allow events to run their course; it is their duty to foresee problems and preempt them. It has always been our people's strength and curse that we are the opposite of yours; we feel the need to forge destiny."

…_bring our…family back together… _The phrase struck the Fire Princess in the chest, causing her to clench into it even tighter in confusion. _Was that what I really wanted?_

Images of summer's past on Ember Island bubbled up from Azula's memory._ Throwing "trebuchet" rocks at her brother's sandcastle. Getting buried up to her neck when he and Mother had finally caught her and then forced her to watch them having ice cream without her (though Mother did let her have some when she finally dug the little troublemaker out). _

_Overlooking the sea, her Father's hand on her shoulder as he recounted how their ancestor, the first Fire Lord, had from this very spot secretly launched the fleet which trapped the Earth King's massive navy in Black Cliff Bay, utterly annihilating it and officially establishing the independence of the Fire Nation from the jealous tyranny of the Earth Kingdom. _

_Sneaking out with her brother from one of those boring plays Mother made them watch so they could catch fireflies instead. Falling asleep in her Mother's lap while watching late night fireworks._

The Fire Lady's eyes began to glaze over, as if she were seeing something far away from this hellish time and place. "When I was young like you I too believed that people could change," confessed Ursa with an aching nostalgia. "I dreamed that I and my nation could transcend our violent history, taming our fires and thus becoming worthy of Tianming; The Mandate of Heaven. Becoming worthy enough to tame and rule the world with justice and nobility, ending once and for all the karmic cycle of war which the Avatar had kept the world trapped in!" declared the She-Bear as she raised her hand and head upwards, the surrounding flames flaring toward the ceiling as she clenched her fist, as if to grasp something only she could see through all the smoke and rumbling earth that obscured the heavens.

Then just as quickly she let them all fall; gaze, flames, fist, and whatever it may have held, to shatter into a thousand broken pieces against the uncaring ground. "But it was only a dream. Trying to change oneself or the world is like walking toward the eastern bow on a west bound warship. In the end I could not avoid the path of violent self destruction; what hubris it was for me to believe an entire nation could! Your tribe knows all too well how little justice there's been in our conquest," confessed Ursa as she suddenly spun back toward Katara, a frenzied look in her eyes.

_Sh-she's losing it! _Thought Katara in alarm. _Is this good? Or really, really, bad? _Ursa began to crack up, tears streaming down her face as she began to chuckle, then laugh out loud at the monumental joke cruel time had made of her youthful hopes and dreams. _Oo-kay, I'm thinking bad. Really bad._ The She-Bear and her daughter were plenty scary enough when sane, thank you very much.

Azula remembered that she wasn't the only one whom these memories weighed on. _"Those summers we spent here seemed so long ago. So much has changed." _She had felt sympathy for him then. And some sisterly concern for his angry moodiness down at the campfire she'd succored his brooding spirit to. It wasn't the only time she'd been worried about him. _"Believe it or not, I'm looking out for you. If people find out you've been to see Uncle, they'll think you're plotting with him. Just be _careful_, dum-dum."_

"Iroh claimed the strength of your people was your fluid adaptability. That is just a mirage though, shimmering deceptively on the surface," dismissed the Fire Lady, her voice _becoming lucid, like a silver dragon-fish on the stormy sea, somehow seeming to effortlessly navigate the choppy waves, diving deep, then just as quickly resurfacing, the lightning flashing brilliantly off her iridescent scales._ "In truth, the form water takes is defined entirely by the boundaries that contain it."

"A Ruler becomes the embodiment of those boundaries for the people. Crafting with custom, law, tradition, and, when needed, violence…" this last point was emphasized by the Fire Lady's boot, forcing Katara's face into the ground, where it firmly held it. "…the Lord of the Land creates the orderly canals that enrich the land and bring it and it's people prosperity. In the civil war you seek however there is no clear ruler to maintain the canals and levies, and they overflow, engulfing the country in catastrophic deluge. Do you know Witch?" demanded Ursa as she ground Katara's face into the dirt. "The fate of this water that tries to breaks free from all the boundaries which constrain it?" Katara shuddered in fear as she heard the chi around the She-Bear ignite.

_Why do I have to remember this? _Wondered Azula, one hand clutched over her eye in a vain attempt to block the unwanted visions, confused unanswered questions, questions she would likely never have answered, swirling around her in a dizzying array, like the ghostly blue and white flames now dancing about her mother. The sight was otherworldly, transfixing Azula's other eye.

Ursa slowly raised her arm, her hair and the tattered remains of her once fine raiment following, all spiraling upward toward the apex in a flaming slow motion cyclone. It felt like in that light she was seeing her Mother for the first time, only now being struck by her stark and terrible beauty. Of the hidden depths of power and nobility she could command. The beauty of raw power could always command Azula's attention. It was an inhuman beauty though, making Azula painfully aware of the divide that separated them. Had always separated them. An otherworldly angel of judgment and a machiavellian devil without scruples. There could be no hope for accord between them, could there?

There were many things the Fire Princess felt like she was beginning to only see for the first time. Death's shadow tended to do that. Like his shadow over the terrified girl lying face down beneath the beautiful yet sinister light of Ursa's dancing flames. She suddenly looked very vulnerable and fragile to the Princess. Like transient morning dew beneath the rising sun.

Katara suspected she knew the answer, but dared not speak, in hope that she was wrong and that if she just kept still and quite the She-Bear would stop mauling her. Both hopes were in vain. Predatory bears are not fooled by playing dead.

"It is just like the water of your flask; uselessly spilling itself out thin whence it easily melts to nothing under Agni's blaze!" The heat from Ursa had been steadily increasing; it now flared in a blinding flash as her hand reached it's apex and the cone of spiraling flames began to converge and condense, like a white hot neutron star, above it. Not that Katara could see any of this, and not that she needed to, to realize she was in deadly peril.

"Please… don't kill me!" begged the water bender, feeling pathetic as she abandoned the lasts shreds of her dignity. "I don't want to die!"

"You should have thought of that _before_ you decided to challenge the Empress of the world's mightiest nation," reprimanded the Fire Lady, the flames continuing to build. "What do you think my daughter was intending to do to me while you broke my arm? To fight is to always wager your own life!" stated Ursa, looking back over her shoulders to include her daughter. "The both of you could at least accept the consequence of your poor choices with some dignity! I know at least that your Father and I raised you better than to beg Azula!" Turning back toward her prone and helpless opponent, the She-Bear brought her hand back, ready to put the Water Witch out of her misery. "You were a worthy foe, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

"Wait! I'm the one you really want Mother. Well here I am!" challenged Azula as she stepped out in combat stance from the safety of the pillar, trying to stop the trembling of her limbs. Ursa smiled in satisfaction to herself, then turned to face her daughter.

***

Next:

Azula: Well, now that I'm making the heroic last stand, it'd be a great time for the cavalry to show up.

Ursa: …

Azula: You don't want you girlfriend to die like this, do you Avatar?

Aang: K_iinn_da *oomph* busy with my own end boss here Zula.

Azula: Who else is unaccounted for… I know! It's about time for Ty Lee to show up again.

Ursa: You threw her away Azula.

Azula: [getting desperate] -_-; … Hell, I'll even settle for my damn brother bumbling in. Agni knows it couldn't make things any worse.

[silence]

*cricket* *cricket*

Ursa: Don't you know daughter? The last battle is always faced alone. This is how it should be. This is…

Chapter 25  
Our Last Agni Kai


	25. Our Last Agni Kai: Opening Shot

Chapter 25  
**Our Last Agni Kai: Opening Shot**

_"Truly my Lady, in all my years, this is the most auspicious birth I've had the good fortune to witness. You and your child are truly blest," enthused the midwife as she placed the newborn infant in her Mother's arms. The baby did not cry, instead languorously observing the new world around her through half lidded eyes. _

_ Azula, first blood-crown princess of the Fire Nation, was born at exactly midday on the Summer Solstice. She'd surprised everyone by arriving early, as if determined to have the most perfect birth date possible. The whole nation, already celebrating the Solstice, was roused to even greater jubilation by the good news, seeing in it promise of Agni's continued favor for His beloved country. Even Ozai, a not particularly religious man (though like all megalomaniacs, he believed in Destiny, or rather that destiny believed in Him), was pleased enough by the lucky birth that he did not berate his wife for failing to give him a son. He could already tell by his daughter's self assured calm that she was destined for greatness._

_ His wife however was a religious woman, ready to see supernatural significance in the play of light and shadows. She did not spoil the good cheer of all those around her by voicing her own inner thoughts as she held the disturbingly quiet, uncrying infant; there is only one place to go after the Solstice height: a downward descent into coldness and lengthening night._

"Before we-"

The Fire Princess was caught off guard by her Mother striking first, launching a lightning quick spear-hand strike as she turned, all the flames spiraling around her funneled into a narrow white lance of focused fire, instantly piercing the distance between them.

Azula began to twist one way, her arms twisting the other to deflect the opening shot just enough to the side. However, the instant her bending made contact it caught fire and was torn to shreds by the sharp hot edges of the flame lance, like dry parchment. And then it tore just as easily through the Fire Princess, punching a hole clean through her. Azula staggered back from the force of the impact, gasping as the white hot pain seared through her. Her knees buckled, folding outward as she collapsed in shock, hands grasping at the entry and exit wound.

The strike had been aimed for Azula's abdominal aorta. And even with her twisting, had still managed to graze a good portion of it. _"I-I'm dead," _thought the Fire Princess in panic as she felt blood began to slowly ooze between her fingers. "_I'm going to bleed out!"_

Dimly, against the deafening sound of her pulse pounding in her ear, like the dreadful pounding of Sun Warrior drums heralding another sacrifice to the elder dragon gods, she could hear Katara crying something out. Probably her name. This was just too pathetic, thought the Fire Princess as she stole a glance toward the water bender, too guilty and embarrassed to meet her eyes. She had suspected that her odds against her Mother were somewhere in the vicinity of zero, but to have been taken down in less than a second…

Damn it! She couldn't die just yet, like this! thought the Fire Princess as she took one last determined look at Katara. There were still important things she had to say! Azula tried to speak, but all she managed was a horrible choked gargling sound, followed by coughed up blood. It felt like there might also be a hole in her stomach as well. The image of her innards filling with blood made her sick, and it took a considerable effort to avoid vomiting up more of her crimson vitals.

_Do you hate me so much that you're just going to leave me to slowly die like this?!_ Thought the Fire Princess as she glared at her Mother in irritation, wishing she would just put her out of her useless misery. She was surprised that her Mother didn't look pleased with her victory. In fact, there seemed to be an almost sad disappointment to her features. _Well sorry I couldn't give you a real duel Mother_, thought Azula sarcastically.

Letting her disappointment out with a quick sigh, the She-Bear began to draw in breath toward herself with her one good arm. It appeared she was ready to grant her daughter's wish. Azula correctly surmised that the lack of immediate follow up was only because condensing enough flame to burn through even bending had taken a lot out of Ursa, and her inner fire needed to recover. Which it was doing rapidly, as fire will always do in the presence of ready fuel.

_"Mother, where does fire come from?"_

_ The Mother turned from her finished kata and toward her inquisitive child. The little princess had a way of always looking confidently at ease; her arms propping her up as she casually leaned back on the courtyard bench, dangling legs betraying her restless energy as they kicked unthinkingly at the air. Her eyes though, they were not nearly so casually unthinking, and betrayed the even deeper energy of her relentlessly active mind. "You can't see it with those sharp calculating eyes daughter? Sometimes you look as if you believe you can see everything with them."_

_ Azula frowned a little bit at that and scrunched up her brow as her Mother turned back from teasing to resume bending. Which resumed the teasing with a patronizing slowness. Azula knew it was a trap, yet she still found her eyes drawn into the web her Mother wove with flame and elegance. Her feet now still and her arms having moved forward to clutch the edge of the bench until her knuckles turned white, she watched with intent irritation, knowing that she was going to fail this test, yet her stubborn pride making her attempt it. The mother raised the corner of her mouth and one eyebrow as she met Azula's glare, as if to taunt: "See it yet, daughter?" _

"_I wouldn't be asking if I did," huffed Azula as she crossed her arms and looked away in annoyance. _

_ "No, I suppose not," said the Mother as she stopped her bending, satisfied by the submission. "It's important though to realize that there are many things unseen, yet that are vital we learn to perceive." Her daughter seemed to have many such blind spots._

_ "Moottthhherr," whined the little girl as she leaned back and rolled her eyes. "That doesn't make any sense. If you don't know the answer then just say so." _

_"Do you wish to become a bender or not young lady?" reprimanded her Mother. "And sit up straight and look at who you're speaking to when being instructed. You'll be starting at the academy soon, and I don't want to hear from your Sisu that you have disrespectful posture."_

_ "Of course I want to be a bender," snapped the little princess as she grudgingly straightened herself. "Besides… I already know the answer," sniffed the daughter, turning up her chin. _

_"Oh do you?" asked the Mother smugly as she placed one hand on her hip._

_ So intent was the daughter to show up her Mother, that she ignored the warnings that this was another trap, and that her Mother was already several moves ahead of her. "Yep. Fire comes from ambition," explained the daughter with pedantic gesture. "When your ambitions burns bright enough, your bending will ignite."_

_ "So if your Father already told you that, why bother to ask me?" asked the Mother as she crossed her arms._

_ "I was just testing if you were as smart as Father," claimed Azula as she leaned forward again on her hands, a haughty smirk on her face. _She_ was the instructor now, so she'd sit however she blazing pleased._

_ "Are you sure you weren't testing to see if your Father was as smart as he thinks he is?" asked the Mother innocently. _

_ "Huh? What do you mean?" asked Azula suspiciously. _

_ "Well, you're plenty ambitious Azula. You're more ambitious than I am. So how come I can bend and you can't?" questioned Ursa with one outstretched hand._

_ "That's… that's because…" fumbled the daughter, realizing too late that she'd once again walked straight into one of Mother's traps. She needed to learn how to see more moves ahead so this would stop happening! (alas, many years later, she would discover the very hard way that her Mother could still play her) _

_ "…You suspect there's more to it than what your Father told you?" suggested Ursa. _

_ "…I suppose…" admitted the little princess evasively as she looked down, embarrassed at the corner she'd backed herself into. She'd lost face not just for herself, but for Father as well. Her Mother wasn't one to rub it in though, and she surprised her daughter by softly sitting down and pulling her close. _

_ "Well, it was smart of you to come ask me then daughter. Men often have tunnel vision, only focusing on one aspect of a thing and thus being blind to the greater Whole," whispered her Mother conspiratorly in her daughter's ear. Azula giggled at this, her Mother joining in as the tension between them dissipated, joined together in the primal solidarity of disparaging the Other. _

_ Lady Ursa held both her hands palm up in front of her. The Fire Princess grinned in anticipation; it looked like Mother was going to share the secret of fire after all. _

* * *

Bleeding Azula-Chibi: Damnit Mother! Talking is supposed to be a free action!

A/N: Mother once told me I was born uncrying, instead languorously observing the new world around me through half lidded eyes.

Next:  
Chapter 26  
Our Own Gravity, Defying the World

A/N: Sometimes I think of writing certain author notes, but then don't, because _it wouldn't be professional, would it? _Which is fairly egoistically stupid xp Cuz this sure as hell isn't professional.

Anyway, Baptism is getting close to its end. I have two endings I've been going back and forth between using, and I'm going to have to make up my mind about which to deploy soon. So if you have any strong feelings on things you'd like to see happen, let me know in a review or PM and it might just influence which way I end up tipping.

Lord knows I've been heavily influenced by feedback before. The flashback to Ursa's exile came about because reader feedback made me decide the Fire Ladies motivations could use more fleshing out. Considering it was originally planned that Azula was going to easily kill Ursa in chapter 8, you could say this ended up changing things just a teensy tiny bit:)

One ending wraps the story up and it gives it a conclusive self contained end. The other ending would finish Baptism's story, but would leave a ton of story still hanging and in want of a sequel. The Pro side of this is that it's the way the story "should" go from an idealized "properly construed narrative integrity" point of view, unconstrained from any other considerations.

But reality does often have such considerations. Where the Con side comes in: I doubt I would actually get around to writing such a sequel. Which doesn't seem very fair to the readers. Of course, maybe the existence of loose ends would guilt/tempt me back to such an ambitious project, but I wouldn't count on it. It's important to know our limits. Your feedback, as always, is appreciated.


	26. Our Own Gravity, Defying the World

Chapter 26  
**Our Own Gravity, Defying the World**

A/N: Before we get started, here's Azula, to (not) answer your pressing questions. Sorry about her harshness, but you gotta love the girl's style. Sincere thanks for the feedback and inspiration.

Q: Are you trying to portray [Azula] as someone who was born evil or turned evil?

A: Foolish knave, know this, and tremble: unlike lesser mortals was I perfect born; wielding heaven's mandate, petty conceits as thine 'good' and 'evil'/ beyond – and held in scorn.

* * *

_ "Fire," explained Ursa, a flame leaping to life in her right hand, small, but dancing with a proud intensity as it flickered, like the two small eyes it danced in reflection upon, "requires fuel, and there are many kinds of fuel which it can use, right daughter?"_

_ "Right," nodded Azula, "Wood is perfect fuel for the fire place, we use coal to fuel our ships, cloth burns well," listed the little Princess, checking each one off with her fingers, "as well as the flesh underneath it," she added with a wicked grin._

_ "Yes…" acknowledged her Mother reluctantly, quickly moving the conversation along, a brief agitated flicker of her flame the only betrayal of the sudden alien chill she quickly suppressed. "There are many different kinds of fuel. Ambition can be one such source for your bending, but there are others."_

_ "So?" dismissed the daughter. "Once you find something that works, that you're good at, why not just use more of it, like… like a bonfire. You can keep piling up more of the same fuel, and the fire gets bigger and stronger."_

_ "Would you build and sail a ship of raw iron dear?"_

_ "No…" admitted Azula, chewing on the corner of her lip as she it mulled it over, sensing her Mother had a point. "For one, it'd get too rusty. That's why we add other elements to the iron, alloying it into stronger steel. …So you're saying bending can be made stronger by adding another element to ambition? Like how the servants will sometimes stuff used paper between the logs to help get a fire going?" _

_ "Very good Azula, very insightful," encouraged the Mother, patting her daughter on the head. "You've got the idea. You've forgotten one little thing though; it is however the most important." Ignoring her daughter's perturbed scowl, Ursa causally rose to her feet and lit one of the candlesticks ensconced in the alcove wall behind them. Taking it from it's holder, she brought it back and held it out toward her daughter as she sat back down. "Put out the flame."_

_ The little princess held out her hand gingerly, hesitating for a moment. If it was her giving the order, she knew this would be some cruel prank, ending with Zuko or Ty Lee getting burnt fingers (Mai was too stoic to usually be worth torturing). "Go on daughter, if you're afraid of a little flame like this, you'll never master fire."_

_ Goaded by her Mother's words, Azula determinedly pinched the flame together between her fingers, instantly snuffing it out into a wisp of dark smoke. The Fire Princess grinned; she'd shown that flame who was boss! She looked up at her mother, eager as a puppy having mastered a new trick, hoping to be praised again. Ursa looked satisfied, but still silent, expectant. Reminding Azula that the test was not over; she still had one little thing to remember. _

_ "The flesh may be willing, but appears insufficient after all." Azula noted the slight emphasis on "sufficient," clue that she needed to find that which was "necessary." _

_ "Hold up your palm dear," requested the Mother as she pulled from her robe a small glass sphere, one end open. She placed it over her daughter's palm, the end toward her tilted up enough to slide a finger underneath. With a flick, she lit a flame off the finger, filling the cup. The little princess gasped in alarm as the glass warmed, but before she could even pull her hand away the flame vanished! Her Mother's finger just as quickly slipped out, the glass sealing down on Azula's hand with a strange sensation, like inverted negative pressure. The little princess stared in surprise at the glass and how it magically pulled up on her skin without any visible means of force. It was the first time she'd ever experienced a vacuum._

_ Ursa watched in amusement as her daughter turned her hand upside down, testing the strength of this strange new phenomena as she lightly shook her hand. The glass sphere effortlessly held on, as effortlessly as it had put out the flame, defying the World's inescapable gravity with it's own inner force, the hollow purity which is absence of force, which all other force futilely runs off of, allowing it to become its own separate world, its center its own gravity "How…?" whispered Azula in wonderment, her eyes two satellites drawn, like her flesh, into awe filled orbit by this silently powerful, other-worldly gravity._

_ "You might say that it is the power of Yin," explained Ursa, herself being pulled in by her daughter's child like fascination. It was one of the greatest blessings of children; to be transported from the quotidian world of adulthood, wherein the piled up years of experience have irrevocably buried wonder, and given the chance to see the world afresh, through eyes for which so much is still new and magical. Ursa knew she could never return to that magical world, but in moments like this it felt like she was reliving apart of it through her child._

_ "There are many kinds of power in this world Azula," revealed the Mother, having to keep her suddenly swelling sentiments from choking her voice. Strong fearful feelings for this child whom she wished to give everything; the world; for whom's sake she also feared might have the terrible power to actually obtain it. "Not all power needs be brutal and overwhelming. Some forms of power are soft, and warm," she whispered fiercely, moved to pulling her daughter closer as she stroked her back and planted a kiss atop her head. "Like this power that can conqueror even our strongest fires. Like the power that bonds people together, like your flesh to the glass world." Azula leaned into her mother. They stayed like that for a moment, on the courtyard bench watching the sun rise, pulled in by the warmth of flesh and the afterglow of fire, the only two inhabitants of a wondrous, fragile, world of glass._

_* * *_

Shameless Omake Next:

Azula: If the chick does not break the egg's shell…

Katara: It will die without being born.

Azula: We are the chick; the world is our egg.

Katara: If the world's shell does not break, we shall die without being born.

Azula: Smash the world's shell!

Ursa: The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever would be born, must destroy a world. The bird flies toward God. That God's name is Abraxas.

Azula: … (muttered disbelief) Of course you'd know the original. We just made matched bookends, didn't we?

Katara: … (worried) No one's going to get yet another obscure Teutonic literary connect the dots between Nietzsche and Hesse you know. How many are we up to anyway?

Azula: The uncultured peasants have google and la wik, do they not? They only have themselves to blame if they remain ignorant rubes.

Katara: (awkward laughter) hahaha (whispered) Stop intimidating the readers Azula.

Azula: Aaand… Bam! Double book ends!

Chapter 27  
Pride and Power


	27. Pride and Power

Chapter 27  
**Pride and Power**

"_Mother?" interjected Azula into the stillness, her eyes watching the sun._

"_Yes dear?" Neither was looking at the other. Neither needed to. Both watching the Lord of Heaven unite all under His golden brush._

_Perhaps it was the sight that brought clarity to the little princess, though she would have been insulted by the suggestion it was anything other than the clever workings of her inner mind; she had none of her Mother's pious humility; plenty of her Father's blasphemous pride. "I figured out why the flames goes out, what the missing element is."_

_"Do tell.__"_

"_It's air. The fire needs to breathe, just like us. After it burned up all the air inside the glass, it had no more fuel, and died."_

Azula gasped for breath. Sharp pain shot through cracked ribs, cutting her breath short. She collapsed to the floor, convulsing as her diaphragm and intercostals cramped in protest, the air being cruelly pressed out by the involuntary contraction of her ribcage, a reverse rape of her lungs from the inside out. She could feel her inner fire dimming, deprived of blood, oxygen, fuel, hope; life.

"_That's also why we're taught to stop-drop-and-roll, isn't it. To smother the flames," realized Azula, her agile mind already connecting this new piece of information into one of the earliest lessons she, and all children of her country, learned. Life on the Burning Isles came with an increased risk of combustion, especially for the nobility, though it was a point of Imperial pride that death by incineration was way down since Sozin's Grandfather had ended the last major civil conflict. There was a certain ironic symmetry in Sozin's grandchildren being the ones to reignite that fine Fire Nation tradition of __i__nternecine__ violence. _

"Where are you going Lian Chi?" asked Jeong Jeong as the general turned to leave.

"That's none of your concern deserter," dismissed Lian Chi coolly.

"The enemy has stopped fighting, and your liege has not ordered an attack," challenged the former admiral as he crossed his arms and stepped in front of Lian Chi, blocking the exit from the infirmary.

"_Our_ Liege," corrected the general, "has abandoned his post to chase a ghost condemned to Hell many years ago. Those who pursue the dead often join them, leaving me in charge," the last was stated matter-of-factly, without aggression, the inner confidence of leadership not needing to prove itself; it simply is.

"You presume much Lian Chi, seemingly even the throne. In _that_ pursuit is death even more courted," warned the White Lotus grand-master.

"Would you be the first to prove it, pacifist? If not, then stand aside, for I have no interest nor patience in your wizened counsel."

Jeong Jeong slipped into ready stance, unmoving from his spot.

"Very well," smirked Lian Chi, the corner of his mouth splitting open, like Hell's Maw, in eager anticipation.

_"Insightful as always daughter. Fire is animated by breath, just as we are. That's why your breathing exercises are such an important part of your training, and why you need to practice the good posture that supports it, see?" demonstrated Ursa, placing her hand on her solar plexus as she breathed in. Azula mimicked her,_ _sitting up straight as she took a deep breath, feeling her hand rise in time with her chest and abdomen. "Feel how your breath is more full when your spine is free to flex? It feels good, doesn't it?"__  
__  
__ "Mnh," nodded the little princess as she took another breath in. It did feel good. __  
__  
__ "Just as air is needed fuel for the fire, their is another similar primary element essential for your bending. In fact, they are linked together, as many of the ancient tongues show."__  
__  
__ "Oh! I know!" exclaimed Azula in excitement, always eager to show off her learning. "In Sun Warrior, Atman means both 'Breath' and 'Soul'. And in the tongue of the Old Earth Kingdom, in the time before the persecution of our ancestors, Spiritus meant both 'breath' and, _obviously_, 'spirit.'" _

_"Very good daughter. Even amongst peoples spread far across distance and time, there is One Truth above us all, like the Sun, and so our similarities converge on it. Even savages can have a surprising appreciation for aspects of the truth. In their own brutal way, the Sun Warriors taught us much." _

_"Yeah, the Sun Warriors were pretty cool," mused Azula, posture already forgotten as she rested her chin on two outurned fists. "Too bad for them they weren't more ruthless when the first refuges arrived, they could have wiped us out at that point before we learned bending from them." Despite extirpating the native tribe of the Burning Isles, the Fire Nation maintained a curious respect for them, quite unlike for their other genocide, the Air Nomads; honoring the memory of the proud warriors whom had been worthy foes. Anomalous to their modern distaste for miscegenation, having Sun Warrior blood was considered a distinction families boasted of rather than a shame to be hidden. The Imperial family set the example, asserting their own divine descent through the Sun Warrior Chieftains. _

_"That's not all they taught us dear," sighed Ursa as she stroked at her daughter's back, a little saddened by the take away her daughter always seemed to see in life's lessons. "We were an impoverished people when we first arrived here, in many ways. As the mercantile elite of the continent's coastal city-states we were gifted in superiority of intellect, ambition, and our love of freedom, but we let that power and freedom corrupt us, becoming decadent, lacking all martial discipline and spiritual depth. So the Mandate of Heaven passed from us; that devil of a demagogue, who would later style himself the Earth King, roused the envious peasants of the interior against us, overwhelming and stealing our hard earned wealth and lands," Ursa's normally gentle voice took on the hard edge of righteous anger, taken hold of by this ancient yet always fresh indignity; possessed by the hunger to avenge one's ancestors and restore tribal honor. From such primal grudges/ conflict born. _

"Do you know what I despise most about you and the White Lotus?" It was good manners to at least let a man know why he was soon going to find himself a pile of charred bones.

Jeong Jeong's head titled ever so impassively to the side.

"Yes, it's exactly that attitude; that you're so above it all. You believe you've achieved some enlightened plane above the nations which make you better than the rest of us; however, it cuts you off from that root of pride that energizes and binds us together as a people! The truth is that disconnect has made you less than human, shadow's of the great men we young officers once idolized! It's sickening!" spat Lian Chi as he pointed an accusing finger at the ex-admiral. "If you were to gain control of the country you'd enervate it as well, withering the nation's pride until we're all uprooted shriveled out husks like yourself. Unlike you, I still love my country; and I won't allow such a sorry fate to befall the Fatherland!" declared Lian Chi as he swept his outstretched hand decisively to the side.

Jeong Jeong's bored expression/ before Lian Chi's impassioned denunciation  
melted into melancholy/ centered round two world weary eyes.

Looking back they had seen much youthful pride and regretful tragedy -- and looking forward they could see naught but its inevitable fated repetition. "You're probably right that I've become a shadow of the man I once was. I sill prefer that to a complicit murderer. However, it was excess of pride that brought our country to this tragic point where we both were compelled to rebel against it Lain Chi!" said the deserter, having no hope even as he tried to find the bridge between them.

_"yep, yep," nodded Azula enthusiastically, enjoying the harsher, non-wussy, side of her Mother this ancient litany of wrongs always brought to the fore (years later, she would find it far less amusing from the receiving end) "But we're finally paying those insolent earth slugs back, aren't we Mother? With the thousands of years interests they've got coming!" __  
__  
__ Azula's bloodthirsty enthusiasm gave Ursa pause, like a fun-house mirror, seeing this aspect of herself distorted and amplified in her daughter's reflection. Unlike her Mother, Azula didn't really need any excuses for aggression. "You shouldn't call them that daughter, they are and will be your subjects. We _will_ pay back the Earth King by smashing his throne, so that our people may finally be safe and so that the world will finally know peace under one ruler. You will have the good fortune to come of age in this new era of peace; Princess to the united people of the world. It would demean both them and you to be Princess of Slugs, would it not?" teased the Mother as she flicked her daughter in the side of the head. "This is a quarrel between thrones daughter, don't lower yourself by stooping to pick on those below our station."__  
__  
__ "You're saying it, and they, are beneath me?" asked Azula as she rubbed at her temple.__  
__  
__ "More or less," sighed her Mother as she smiled sadly and patted her daughter on the head. There was more, much more she wished she could convey about the mutual responsibilities between ruler and ruled. About the innate dignity even the simplest subject carried within his soul, and how even the mightiest ruler must take it under consideration. But such often was like a foreign language unto her daughter.__  
__  
__ "Maybe that's why you can't bend," suggested Ursa suddenly, a devilish twinkle in her eye.__  
__  
__ "Huh?"__  
__  
__ "You don't perceive others souls. That's why its so easy for you to discount the feelings of others. But Azula, by denying the souls of others, you also blind yourself to your own soul, to your ultimate fuel of bending. You'll never be able to achieve your true potential like that."_

"Damn it! I don't want to die!" thought Azula desperately, terrified at her own death she could now clearly see rising up within her, a dark hungry void spreading out like Nosferatu's cape, blotting out even the starlight as he descended upon her. There was still much she hadn't done, so many unrealized ambitions!

_"Who's you're ambition for daughter?" asked her Mother. __  
__  
__ "F-for myself of course!" huffed Azula as she crossed her arms defiantly. "I want more power, to become the best bender in the world, and just you watch Mother; I'll do it!" challenged the little princess as she pointed rudely at her Mother. "It's not like you're a Lion-Turtle and can see souls either," dismissed Azula with a know-it-all attitude. "Because if you could, then you'd know that I have a really, really big soul," she claimed, throwing her hands as wide as her little arms would extend. "In fact, it's so big, it's so big that... well it's so big that you better not be standing anywhere close when it finally ignites! Hmphh! You'll be sorry then for underestimating me!" declared the princess as she turned up her head.__  
_  
_She expected to be scolded. She was even ready for the lash if it came to that. What she wasn't ready for was her Mother to snicker, then burst out in laughter. "Are... are you laughing at me?!" fumed Azula.__  
__  
__ "Sorry, sorry," gasped her Mother as she regarded her daughter with fond amusement. "You're just too much sometimes Azula. It's fine to be ambitious, to want to be the best, but you'll never have a "really, really, big soul,"" at this she threw her arms wide in mock imitation, "to fuel your bending __if you're only doing it for yourself. Remember the paper stuffed between the logs? Ambition would play a better role as that paper, the alloying element between the true fuel of your spirit. A starting point to ignite a greater purpose for your bending. Without a higher purpose to direct our power and ambition, we become slaves to them, wild fires growing ever larger and more ravenous, eventually raging out of control and consuming us. Do you understand daughter?"__  
__  
__ "I think so," admitted Azula reluctantly. "History is littered with the burnt out remains of those like you describe Mother. But maybe that's because they were too stupid to know the strength of their enemies, too weak to fully master their power; maybe I'm smarter and stronger than them."__  
__  
__ "Perhaps," replied Ursa. "Though it's hard to tell how strong you really are until you've faced true hardship Azula, and that's more than just having to eat your eggs cold because you stayed out playing instead of coming to breakfast when called. Those who appear strong standing all alone often turn out to be the most fragile, falling apart when they're truly tested. There is a strength which we can derive from others."__  
__  
__ "Of course, lackeys and cannon fodder always have their uses," shot back the little princess with a smirk, arms clasped smugly behind her head as she leaned back imperiously.__  
__  
_Katara couldn't stand to watch anymore. She had to do something. She could tell now that the Fire Princess was mortally wounded, and wouldn't last much longer without healing.

"Azula!" shouted the water bender as she began to drag her wounded body toward the Princess. But the distance between them seemed so great, and her body so slow to move, each agonizing inch jarring her broken leg.

"It is futile water child. She'd die of blood loss before you could drag yourself to her side. Not that I will let her suffer that long. Soon all our..." Ursa suddenly felt an in rush of bending energy breaching her aura, angrily hurtling toward her! What on earth was that foolish child intending now without any water to bend?!

"I don't freezing care!" Shouted Katara as she grabbed the Fire-Lady's water. "I'm not going to give up on living like you!" Clenching her fists together, Katara forced Ursa's hands tightly to her side. "Even if it's hopeless, as long as I'm alive I'm going to keep trying!!" Tightening her grip, Katara locked Ursa's legs together knock kneed.

"So, my daughter lied about you being helpless," noted Ursa as she looked down at her unresponsive limbs, wincing at the pain from her broken arm being jerked about. "I should have known."

"Ha! That's what you get for underestimating me," smirked Katara, half rising to her one knee that wasn't broken. "You're not the only one who can bend inside others. Not that you're going to be doing much bending with your limbs locked down."

"How like a savage and a child," sighed the Fire Lady. "You have no understanding of the sacred realm you're intruding upon, or its implications, do you? Do you really think you'll be allowed to trespass unpunished within the sanctuary of my soul?" warned the Fire Lady as she slowly raised her head, her imperious gaze suddenly locking on her heathen attacker.

* * *

A/N: _Atman_ and _Spiritus_ are real words, from Sanskrit and Latin respectively.

Next:  
Chapter 28  
The Source of All Bending


	28. Source of All Bending

Chapter 28  
**Source of All Bending**

Katara began to shake, like a child caught snooping somewhere she wasn't supposed to be, the She-Bear's two baleful eyes pinning her to the spot, as if it were she, and not the waterbender, who had the upperhand of immobilization. _Stop looking at me like that!_ Thought Katara as she tried to force Ursa's head back down with her bending. The Fire Lady would bow to no child however! Her head remained defaintly upright. "Is that the best you can do?" asked the Fire Lady, unimpressed. "What's wrong? You've taken over all but the last inch of my being. You should never leave a task only part way done!"

"H-how? Why isn't it working?" grunted Katara as she gave her blood bending everything she had, a sickening feeling of dread filling her stomach. This wasn't likely to end well.

"You haven't figured it out yet? I could have stopped you at any time," tsked the Fire Lady, dismissing Katara's most powerful technique as if it were nothing. "We move our bodies to direct the soul as it bends the world around us. Within the body, however, the soul is always in motion; flowing through the meridians; whirling around the chakras. Did you really think you could stop my bending at the very center where my soul is strongest?!" Katara suddenly felt a flash of heat, the air around Ursa bursting into flames as her bending was expelled and incinerated, like ash from a volcano, her hopes going up in smoke.

"Foolish girl, I only let you inside my body to satisfy my curiousity," began the She-Bear, her menacing words pouring forth like lava. "I'll admit my surprise that a backwater child such as yourself is capable of the most subtle of the bending arts. No wonder you caught my daughter's inerest; you both share a talent unrivaled save by each other, soul's of bending cut from opposite poles of the same cloth. However, your reach has exceeded your grasp. There was one other little reason I let your bending inside me as well," confessed the Fire Lady. At that moment, Katara became aware of an uncomfortable sensation growing at the tips of her fingers, like some mysterous source was conducing heat to them.

"You may have thought you were only attacking inside of me with your own bending. You can not do so however without coming into contact with my soul, the source of my bending! Like a moth to a brightly burning web, you trapped yourself by opening yourself up to the Hellfire which rages about my center!" Ursa swept her good hand toward Katara. The water bender's eyes widened in alarm as she frantically tried to slap off the gossamer strands of bending she could now feel connected to her fingers. "Futile," declared the Fire Lady. "Only death may sever the soul from the body." The edge of Katara's bending had ignited from contact with the flame at the center of Ursa's soul, and the She-Bear had fanned that flame back along the ethereal threads of Katara's bending, threads which Katara suddenly realized lead straight back to her!

The soulfire was invisible to the mortal eye, but Katara was sensitive enough to percieve its malevolent presence; the cruel madness which burned just under the Fire Lady's cool exterior. A spreading fever, like a a mass of coiling dragon heads torturing one shared body, forced to live off the poisonous blood weeping from their infected wounds. Yearning for death, yet too proud to die without honor. It was the most horrible, terrifying, thing Katara had ever seen. Because now it was aware of her!

Pausing in their self flagellation, twelve bloodshot frenzied eyes turned toward the waterbender. _Here! Here is the impudent one who dares prolong our suffering, _they gnashed, a grating sound of ichor stained teeth against eachother._ Well, join in it with us then , what we have suffered these long endless years!_ With a roar like the chorus of the damned, the gaping mass of jaws lunged forward! "KYAAAHHHHH!" Even if she'd had access to water, it would have done no good against the Hellfire which burned her soul.

*

_"Of course, lackeys and cannon fodder always have their uses," replied the little princess smugly._

_"That's not what I meant," sighed her Mother, trying not to get too exasperated with her daughter. She knew Azula's snark was partly defensive; cover for her annoyance at being criticized. Breathing in, Ursa reminded herself to reframe, in terms her daughter responded to; the universal language of power. "Though in a way it reflects a part of it. The royal family is powerful _because_ we command the loyalty of our subjects. In the same way the soul, the source fuel of your bending, can become powerful."_

_This got Azula's interest._

_"Shall I tell you a secret daughter?"_

_Azula nodded, trying not to look too eager._

_"Your soul isn't limited to yourself. All souls have an affinity for each other, do you know why daughter?"_

_"Because they all contain a spark from Agni?"_

_"Correct. Isolated by itself the soul will wither, a spark to small to ignite," spoke Ursa, unaware just how true she would learn this to be. "It's only when souls join together that their sparks become strong enough to burn brightly. That's why even though the Earth Kingdom is so much larger, we are the stronger; we are a true Nation, the expression of the soul of a singular people tightly bound together by our commonality, not a loose collection of provinces nominally held together under a tyrant. As the crown princess, you are especially well suited for drawing strength from our people and nation. If you learn to make them part of your soul, to serve and fight on their behalf, then your bending will become an expression of that love between the throne and her people, far more powerful than the bending of one who only fights for themselves. I know that if you or Zuko were ever in danger, well... I would fight like I'd never fought before, becoming a She-Devil armed with Hell's Fire if need be to protect my precious children."_

_"I'd like to see that some day," said the little princess, trying to image her Mother as a devil; adorned with horns and tail and surrounded by hell's flame. The incongruity made her giggle._

_"Let us hope that day never comes. Though I hope someday you'll find something as important to you, worthy of your ambition and fighting for."_

_"_liar..." whispered Azula, remembering. Trembling with rage as the darkness closed in on the last inch of her being. Her own soul dimming, or perhaps thinning out as it dissipated, she could sense Katara's as well, lit up brightly as it burned from her Mother's soulfire.

Her Mother had more than recovered her ability to evoke physical fire as well, and, closing her eyes_, _sent it to finish off her daughter.

"LIAR!" screamed Azula, welling up the soul of her bending within that last inch.

_"Bending, like all arts, is an expression of the soul and all it connects to Azula."_

_I won't let you kill her like that!  
__  
_Azula suddenly sprang to her feet, her bloodstained hand leaving her wound and striking forward, a flash of fire meeting her mothers huge flame blast and diverting it to the side. Ursa stared in surprise, her eyes quickly narrowing in on the black seared flesh covering where the gaping hole had been. That wasn't all Azula had done either. A wave of raw bending had rolled out from her daughter's core when it flared back to life, putting out the soulfire which had been burning Katara.

"You'd do it for Zuko, but not for me," seethed Azula, her shoulders heaving up and down with her labored breath.

"You forced me to choose. I see you managed to bend enough heat through your blood to sear your own internal injuries shut," observed Ursa, impressed. "I'm amazed you were able to control the heat that tightly. Anyone else trying that for the first time, including your Father, would have killed themselves from the collateral damage to the surrounding tissue. You always were a quick learner."

"I had a good teacher," replied the Fire Princess with a sardonic laugh. "Though I didn't appreciate it at the time. She always knew how to push me to my limits."

"Then I'm sure you're aware you've reached your limit daughter. I'll give you credit for making it this far, but you must realize you have no chance of defeating me. If it weren't for my carelessness regarding the witch, you never would have landed even a scratch," said the Fire Lady, paying close attention to Azula's demeanor. Gone was the nerve wracking fear which had made her such easy prey, replaced by a stubborn angry resolve. Best to undermine her confidence by reminding her just how hopeless things were.

"Exactly. If it weren't for Katara risking her life for me I'd be dead many a time over by now. And that's why there's no way in hell I'm going to let a lying monster like you kill her! Especially like that!" declared Azula.

In some abstract manner, Azula knew her Mother was correct, but it felt like rational probability meant nothing next to the intense determined feelings she could feel burning within her awakened bending. Maybe rationallity was overrated. Azula could always abandon an old friend if someone else offered better hope of getting what she wanted; it was the rational choice after all. It was a little annoying, and embarrassing, to realize her Mother had actually been right about something, but Azula wasn't in a position to turn down any edge she could find.

"You wanted a real Agni Kai Mother?" challenged Azula as she slipped into battle stance. "Well, I hope you're ready, because I'm going to give it to you!"

* * *

Next:

So many memories. So many intense feelings behind the flames. We could never seem to connect, without eventually burning the other.  
Agni Kai. Flames meeting. Here our souls will finally meet again/ on the dueling grounds before God, as we fight; to get our feelings across; to the finish

Chapter 29  
Fanning Flames


	29. Fanning Flames

Chapter 29  
**Fanning Flames**

"So even you, before death, will grasp for something beyond yourself," mused the Fire Lady as she looked her daughter over carefully. "I commend your dedicated bravery daughter, but it will do you no good. No passion of yours can bridge the difference in skill between us. Reality cares naught for our wishful thinking."

Even when the soulfire had been extinguished, Katara just lay there, limp as a discarded rag doll, eyes dull and unresponsive as cloudy glass. She did not stir, until Azula spoke her name:

_Exactly. If it weren't for Katara risking her life for me I'd be dead many a time over by now. And that's why there's no way in hell I'm going to let a lying monster like you kill her!__  
__  
_The light slowly returned to the water bender's eyes, Azula's defiant last stand reflecting upon them. "_You wanted a real Agni Kai Mother? Well, I hope you're ready, because I intend to give it to you!"__  
_  
Katara blinked, her consciousness reconnecting to the sight. Azula always carried herself with regal bearing, but now, her clothes in burnt tatters, severally injured as she stood in challenge before the awesome might of the Fire Lady, she shone with a fierce nobility like Katara had never seen. It was a stirring, yet achingly tragic sight; Katara knew all too well what happened to those who dared stand in the She-Bear's way. "Azula! Don't try and do this! Your mother's right; she's far too powerful for us! You've got to escape!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Witch," sighed the Fire Princess, then adding with a smirk, "Don't flatter yourself that I'm only doing this on your account."

"The Water Child is right. You can not defeat me. Why didn't you try and escape while I was busy with her? Is she really that important to you?" asked Ursa curiously, probing at her daughter's psyche.

"Don't patronize me Mother. While you're not nearly clever as I, I know you're not as stupid as the Witch, so you should know the same of me. You really think you can unnerve me into doing something as stupid as trying to flee?!" asked Azula angrily. "You'd be able to sense where I was the moment I bent at the surrounding flames; and the last place I'd want to be with a bender of your strength nearby is trying to navigate through the center of an inferno. If I have to die I might as well go down in the heat of battle facing my killer!" Azula narrowed her eyes, slowly probing with her focus as she shifted her lead hand around, analyzing at her Mother's defense. She still had all her limbs to her Mother's three; if she gave it everything she had surely she should be able to overwhelm her Mother's bad side. Another edge left her by Katara.

Mocking her daughter, the Fire Lady shifted into a lazy side stance, her useless broken arm in front. Azula cursed under her breath; could her Mother really read her so easily? And take her so lightly? "Yes, that's how it should be daughter. It's a shame you can only manage nobility when your back is forced to it. Still, when the only thing left is to die, we should do it well. You need not worry about being avenged. I will do you and our Lord honor; offering myself as your funeral sacrifice." Her attention having been drawn toward her Mother's broken arm and words, Azula missed her Mother's back hand which she subtly chambered under her robe, concealing her finger work as she began to bend. The Fire Princess was not the only one who understood the value of misdirection.

"You think that's supposed to make me happy?!" yelled Azula, flared anger blinding her to the danger right before her. "You want to die, you've wanted to die for years, haven't you! And now you've found your chance, selfishly using me and Father as a cloak of honor to conceal a coward's suicide! You really are an old fashioned relic, I can't even recall the last time a wife commited _Sati _and threw herself on her husband's pyre! Oh, you''ll be the burnt offering all right, but Father won't be pleased with your blood unless I'm the one to offer it!" spat Azula, pointing a shaking finger at her Mother.

Katara gasped, unable to grok such a brutal custom, and in sudden realization of just how far the She-Bear's deadly determination extended. "Why are you punishing yourself so hard? You're forcing yourself to do this, aren't you? To kill Azula because you know it will hurt you more than anything else!"

"Perhaps you're right," sighed Ursa as she closed her eyes. "Agni is cruel, but fair. Five years ago I committed a crime most foul, defying the will of heaven and placing the wrong sibling on the throne; Ozai's sins are all, and more so, mine. It is my atonement now to not allow the same mistake to be repeated, my suffering my deserved punishment and moira. When the God calls, we must give ourselves into His hands," intoned Ursa, her eyes opening again with the clear resigned calm of those who have seen Fate. "If you must pity, save it for my daughter, whom I abandoned to a monster. It is mine and his fault she ended the way she did."

"Don't give your self so much credit Mother!" retorted Azula angrily. "Stop making excuses for the both of us like a weakling! I always hated that about you. If you're going to kill me, then take full responsibility for it and quit hiding behind your 'Agni's Honorable Will' smoke. At least I'll own up to what I am; my Father's daughter, heir to the Empire, all of my own choice!"

"Then you will die like him," declared Ursa. Fanning her daughter's anger and passion had certainly been an interesting bending. But that was, as Azula said, concealing smoke to distract from the true threat. Her locks established, the Fire Lady clenched her hidden fist.

* * *

Katara: Despite what you said, you're really more like your Mother Azula.

Azula: What?!

Ursa: Please, it's obvious which side of the family she takes after.

Katara: No really, Ozai has a straight forward style. All overwhelming force and little subtly. I was wondering where Azula got her plotting preference for being a sneaky underhanded bitch.

Azula: ...ouch

A/N: _Sati_, the wife throwing herself on her husband's funeral pyre, is a real world Indian tradition. It was more commonly practiced by high ranking royalty. Though outlawed now, there are still documented cases of the practice from time to time.

_Moira_ is a Greek concept; "The finished shape of our fate, the line drawn round it. It is the task the god allots us; the limits we must not pass; and our appointed end. Moira is all these."

Next:  
Chapter 30  
Our Last Agni Kai: To Boil Over


	30. To Boil Over

Chapter 30  
**Our Last Agni Kai: To Boil Over**

*

**  
** "_Now don't forget Ursa, this technique I've taught you is one of our clan's closely guarded secrets. None else shown have lived to tell of it. While it may not seem much against the small bruises and cuts we've practiced on, it quickly becomes overwhelming with your enemies injuries. If you were to use it on an elderly target, say that old battle scarred Azulon, it would be quite devastating, boiling all his arthritic joints from the inside."__  
__  
__ "Mother, such talk of our Lord is improper."__  
__  
__ "It was merely an example daughter, to impress on you how powerful the technique could be, allowing even a novice to defeat one of the most powerful benders if she caught him off guard."__  
__  
__ "Is this how far our house has fallen Mother, turning its daughters to assassins?" __  
_

*

_Indeed, I've fallen even further, _thought the aged queen sadly, closing her fist, to blot out both the past and future. _Despite myself, I became what you intended. Yet I still doubt you're happy with me. Will you even be waiting to see me on the other side, or did you write me off long ago? _Ursa felt no hope for forgiveness; she had thought she knew everything in her youth. She hadn't appreciated any of the things her Mother had tried to tell her until it was far too late. _  
__  
_Azula felt too late her Mother's chi inside her body, resonating with her injuries; a noiseless, heated harmonic. _No! It's too soon, I'm not ready! _Unlike Katara, Azula could counterbend. In theory. Her Mother wasn't exactly using conventional firebending. Azula had assumed she would be able to bend at her Mother's heat manipulation. Attempting to do so, she quickly learned the difference between theory and practice. _I'm not going to be able to deflect it in time! _thought Azula in panic as the heat inside her numerous injuries began to increase with her Mother's chi, rising in her like a sun to near.

And then she felt it, the heat from her Mother's chi momentarily weakening, as if doused with cold water. Pouncing on the opportunity, Azula forced her own counterbending in, sweeping her Mother's chi out behind her with both arms as she dodged to the side. Hoping her Mother had overcommitted, Azula snapped the right foot she'd dodged on into a full force side kick, firing off a shot as she built up a mass of flames in her trailing hands. _Mother wasn't expecting me to avoid her sneak attack, which means she's open! _The Fire Princess let loose a battle cry, channeling all the blue fire she could muster as she brought both hands forward in a dragon strike, a huge ball of fire surrounded by spiraling flames being sent barreling down toward Ursa. _  
__  
__ Is it over?_ _Did I get her?_ Panted Azula. There was no way even her Mother could counterbend that much fire, and Azula hadn't sensed any. It would be like her to not fight the inevitable.

"Well, well, you finally made me leave my one-stance zen radius," Azula's eyes widened at the taunting voice. "It may be time for me to get serious. To bad for you I'm much more dangerous when I start moving in for the kill." The Fire Lady came arcing elegantly out from behind Azula's fireball, her feet gliding along the ground without movement, propelled by two white jets of flame, like the wings of a messenger god. A flick of her wrist sent five white flame darts her daughter's way.

_White flames?! _Thought Katara in alarm. She was used to seeing Azula's signature blue blaze_, _but this was the first time she'd seen a Fire Bender produce such pure white-hot fire. _Has she really been holding back her true strength til now?!_ _  
__  
_ The flame darts were too small and quick to reliably grab hold of with her counterbending, and Azula saw that diving out of their way would bring her right where her Mother's gliding arc was leading as she began to curve back toward her daughter. She wouldn't let such a trivial attack make her play into her Mother's hands once again. Both Mother and daughter were learning from their earlier mistakes. Moving just enough that they wouldn't strike her vital points, Azula grit her teeth as the spread hit her, hotter than she expected. Azula didn't let the pain stop her though, channeling two flame whips to meet her Mother's charge with. "Acting so confident Mother, yet resorting to such honorless underhanded tricks. Admit it, you fear me! You know just what I'm capable of if you make the smallest mistake!"

"You're the one mistaken daughter," retorted the Mothers angrily as she wove around the first flame whip.

"Oh yeah? I've got you right where I want you!" grinned Azula as she lunged forward. There was no room for her Mother to dodge the second whip.

"Do you?" Reaching out, the Fire Lady grabbed the second flame whip with her bare hand! The pain was nothing to one of the living dead like Ursa. Its intensity instinctively welcomed as a sign that life's flame still burned somewhere in her husk. Azula gasped as her blue flame turned white, her Mother's chi invading her own weapon. Before the Princess could react, her Mother's bending had worked it's way all the way up to her forearm, continuing to extend into a hissing fire snake. Azula screamed in pain as it wrapped around her forearm with searing heat. Pulling back on the flame lash that was now hers, Ursa pulled her daughter off balance, and right into her devastating sidekick that had all the momentum of her arc behind it. Azula's body went flying across the chamber into another rock pillar, then fell twenty feet into the flame burning beneath it, exactly as aimed by her Mother when she'd picked out the parabola of her attack.

Ursa watched her daughter fall, a smirk turning up the corner of her mouth. From Katara's vantage point on the floor the Fire Lady's face was half covered in shadows. All her life Ursa had held back, first as the daughter of a pacifist family, denied even the honor of serving in the home guard, then as a wife to Crown Prince Ozai. Oh, how sometimes she'd wished to show those gossiping classmates or backbiting ladies of the court what a child of the Avatar was capable of. But no, she had been a good girl, a good wife, a restrained follower of Agni. Now though! Now her blood was finally beginning to sing with the full throated song of battle! The Fire Lady brought up her hand, the flames reaching up to catch Azula in their cruel tender embrace. Katara shuddered as the She-Bear's smirk grew into a sinister grin, suddenly struck by how much she resembled her daughter. To her shame, Katara remembered her own similar smirk when she'd blood bent Azula. There were few who could long resist the incomparable thrill that comes from exercising that ultimate power over another.

"Ha ha ha ha!" laughed Ursa madly as she began the fine finger work of her bending with dramatic flourish. "Is that your best I had to fear daughter? Surely you can offer Agni and I a better show! Let us make our death dance a worthy memory to carry to the grave and the gods!" The Fire Lady ripped out her hair piece and threw her head back in laughter again, long black hair cascading down as flames flared up, white and red like bloodstained angel wings, wondering why she had fought this for so long, when it felt so right to finally give in.

_You've got to be kidding me, _thought Katara, her mouth hanging open in incredulous despair. She wasn't sure whether to cry or crack up herself. _We are so screwed._

* * *

Next:  
Chapter 31  
Vision of Hell


	31. Vision of Hell

Chapter 31  
**Vision of Hell**

A/N: Short update. I get pretty busy with taxes and financial planning this time of year. Hopefully I'll have more time for writing after the 15th. In the meantime, here's a little exercise in scene setting to tide you over. Unlike most writers, I have an internal/abstract vs. external/sensory oriented mind, so I'm deficient when it comes to writing physical descriptions, but I forced myself to tackle this one for the practice. It took a lot of slow work to get into it, but I hope you find the end result worth it.

* * *

There was no comfort anywhere Katara looked; from Azula's body, falling in slow motion towards the outstretched flames; to her relentless Mother wreathed in fire and madness; and the flames which surrounded them all in a dark red sea of fire, like the oceanic twilight as Agni dies upon it. Barren rocky islands, tossed up amongst the waves by the titanic struggles of earthbenders past, provided the only refuge from that hungry red tide. Smoke rose up from it, the scent of many burning corpses wafting upwards like an offering toward the heavens. The nauseating smell made Katara gag, a cramping dry heave, her severely dehydrated body having nothing to offer as tribute to her revulsion. Looking up to try and break the hollow implosive flow from stomach to covered mouth, the water bender's eyes widened in fear; _Heaven Hades had opened/ terrible ancient gods coming down to receive their sacrifice_

They were hard to make out from their distance, but the flames below had grown enough that Katara could catch glimpses, flickering in and out of view between the shadows the flames sent dancing toward the far roofward cavern walls; a large hollow eye socket here, wide flared nostrils there; bearing mute witness to the carnage below as they drank in that which is sweetest to the old gods. Ursa had noticed them as well, the protruding curved spikes of a massive ribcage, frozen gaping maws hanging partway out of the ceiling with their claws, the fiercely shaking earth making it appears as if the beasts were struggling to break free, and at any moment might fully burst forth to descend on the impudent mortals below! The Fire Lady merely cocked her head to the side with an amused ironic smile.

_"Dead gods of the old world, do you still remember? The prime of your beauty and strength? The taste of burning, still living offerings, thrashing futilely between your mighty jaws? How I feel your yearning!"_ exclaimed the God-Empress with a flourish, her eyes closed in exultant bliss and her soul feeling one with her peers which the flaring flames revealed, fully surrounding the upper echelons of the cavern. The flames hissed, the earth rumbled, and the Fire Lady stood in the center of it all, laughing, the sound echoing off the far walls and filling the whole cavern until one could swear the dragons were joining in with the mad queen. Katara's image of what hell must be like was becoming richly embellished.

* * *

Next:  
The Duel Concludes


	32. Demon of the Forgotten Mirror

Chapter 32  
**Demon of the Forgotten Mirror****  
****  
****  
** **"**_So, all this time, you _were_ here..._**"** chuckled Ursa, at the joke only she and perhaps the dead gods understood. **"**_I see. Finally, at the bottom of deepest night, I see..._**"** A dark secret gleamed within the madness, hidden in an unfathomable depth which Katara felt would swallow her whole if she met it too long, yet unable tear her gaze from those terrible, transfixing, transfixed eyes. Was this like the moon-madness, when the Spirit's touch was too strong for mortal mind to bear? Yet the Fire Lady seemed to bear it without burden or breaking; cracked yes, but not weakened; like a sharp and clear day on the austere fields of ice when unknown powers below suddenly with a great *ka-crack* open up the crevasses. Whichever Spirit had touched the She-Bear still seemed to be lurking in those shadowy depths; Katara had seen the God break through shaken mortal psyche before, but unlike when Aang shone with the light of the world, this was its opposite; the inverse shining of a black hole, the collapsed Sun turned in on itself, whose light is now the light it devours, making itself frightfully unseen, but still with it's powerful gravity, undeniably felt.

**"**_Can you see it, Water Child?__**"**_asked the Queen, with a lopsided smile which pulled her whole head along to the side and made Katara's skin crawl. **"**_The other side? No, you can't, can you. You have not suffered enough to make it through. It is right here. This, this is reality!__**"**_Declared the Fire Lady as she swept her arm to the hell around them. _**"**__I thought I was dreaming all these years, while the Truth was right before me. And now I have finally awakened to it!__**"**_Declared Ursa triumphant as one who has overcome, her bending locking onto her daughter.

Stunned and aching where she'd fallen into the flames, Azula felt her Mother's chi welling up inside her own again, this time with a far more powerful rough intensity. Was this her Mother's true strength?! It was hopeless, there was no way she could resist it! Her own bending was just too weak in comparison. For a moment, she felt helpless before her assaultant's greater power.

_"Increased power is only a liability if you can't control it."_

Rough surfaces were easier to grab hold of. Reaching through the pain and into herself as she curved her fingers and clutched toward her chest, Azula grabbed the rough edges of her Mother's bending, using it's own immense force and momentum against it as she tossed it out of her like a lithe judo fighter throwing a much larger opponent, the movement of her arms as she did so also sweeping the flames outward from her in a flaring corona, opening up the line of sight between her and her Mother; eyes both narrowed and locked into the opened space.

Something had drastically changed in her Mother. Her bending had been as smooth, sharp, and precise as one of Mai's expertly placed throwing spikes; counterbending it was, at best, like trying to grab a cheetah-fish darting through an oil slick. At worst, well, Azula could still feel where the near fatal hole in her abdomen had been. Where had that focused elegance gone? That pure marriage of intent with flawless execution, now sundered? Yes, there was power here, power greater than Azula knew she could reckon. Yet it stirred not the usual admiration, but a dread alien ambivalence. The uneasy alienation which only the familiar, but not quite right, can induce. Who was this mocking stranger standing, smirking before her, with infuriatingly arrogant eyes, the false pity of condescension looking down upon her? The flames shifted, red interlaced with white as light and shadow danced, and suddenly Azula's eyes widened in disbelieving realization; knowing finally who's child she was. _  
__  
__ This was what you always wanted, wasn't it child? _Mocked the dark god/Nemesis, who's delight is to upturn hubris. _The great power; the royal robes and crown throne; the height of mature beauty; great enemies reduced to helplessness before your awesome might. Gaze upon it well; is it everything you thought it would be? Would you have ended up any better? _Azula shivered as the touch of madness brushed against her; was it only an after image from her mother's chi, a premonition, or imagination of another self she might have been in some parallel world? In this realm time self imagination and other blurred against certainty, and Azula had to fight to regain sight of her ego. She remembered; she had been descending into this pit herself, but the Witch had been there and pulled her back from the abyss. The thought itself helped Azula steady herself. No one had been there for her Mother however, for years to her months. And she hadn't succumbed for far longer; til now.

Ursa's hand and chi whirled back around, ready for another strike. Her bending had narrowed with her eyes; she wasn't going to carelessly let Azula deflect her this time. _No! I can't allow her time to set up her ultimate strikes! _Thought Azula desperately, but as she tried to move a sharp pain in her broken ribs stole her breath away. She wasn't going to make it.

Then she felt another presence inside hers. It wasn't her Mother. A vitalizing power began to lighten heavy muscles, fresh strength flowing into weary limbs, sinew and veins visibly bulging as they swelled with fresh blood. "HAAAHHHH!" Yelled Azula, letting the strength flow through and out her in a sudden flame strike.

The Fire Lady was caught off guard by her daughter's sudden recovery. The corner of her mouth and arm angled downward as she was forced to abandon her attack to deflect her daughters'. Azula took advantage of her burst of strength for all it was worth, and with a war cry sprang forward into a round house, sweeping the surrounding flames toward her mother's bad side. Her broken arm useless, Ursa was forced to ground the flames with an outward ax kick, feeling acutely the irritation that her shortage of limbs kept her from launching a counterattack to break up her daughter's mounting offense. _Where did the child's energy come from? She should have been too injured to launch such an attack, _thought the She-Bear suspiciously.

The first kick was just the lead in; jumping forward as she spun, Azula's back foot snapped around in an aerial spinning round house; she was going after her Mother's weak spot with everything she had. The flames caught Ursa full force in the chest, knocking her off her feet and sending her tumbling across the ground. "Who can't land a scratch on you Mother?!" challenged Azula, weaving a spiraling flame cyclone with both hands as she reached the apex of her jump, sweeping it down toward her Mother as she landed!

_"So there's still some fight left in you..."_ observed Ursa as she rolled into a one handed hand-spring, twirl kicking with both her legs, catching and dissipating her daughter's falling flames as she sent out her own. Azula was forced to land into a deep split to get under the arcing sheet of fire. Her eyes zeroed in on her Mother's right arm, flung up from being upside down. Sure enough, gravity claimed it, the pain being near unbearable as the broken joint fell back to earth. Azula's eyes gleamed like a jungle cat's about to pounce as she saw her Mother wince and her good arm tremble. _Another opening! _The Fire Princesses immediately struck forward with two outstretched fingers. "More than enough enough to defeat a worn out relic like you Mother! You belong on the ash heap of history with your dead "gods!""

**"**_Gods can not truly die,_**"** instructed the Fire Lady as she watched the approaching flame bolt aimed straight at her heart. **"**_They live on, as demons when we mortals forget their true names._**"** Letting herself twist and fall to the side, the flame bolt missed her vital organ, instead puncturing through her already damaged shoulder.

**"**_You can no more kill the Gods..._**"**

In a deep split stance with her arm extended in it's final strike

**"**_Than one can hold back the tide..._**"**

Azula could not immediately follow up.

**"**_Than one can placate the force that pulls the avalanche down the mountainside..._**"**

The Fire Lady rose back to her feet

**"**_Than one can stop the raging wildfire as it burns..._**" **

Appearing unfazed by her roughing up and her doubly useless arm hanging precariously from it's socket.

**"**_Or prevent the changing winds as the seasons turn..._**"**

Cold sweat beading her forehead, Azula desperately launched a quick flame jab with her back hand as she hurried to her feet. The Fire Lady still had both her legs, and they were once again on firm footing, easily weaving around the attack as she laughed, her head being perhaps not so grounded. Losing her nerve, Azula had to break eye contact, unable to keep looking into those terrifying possessed eyes, which looked as if they could stare down the end of the world itself without blinking. Lowering her eyes, the little princess gulped as her gaze was caught by her Mother's mouth turning up, and suddenly the roar of the fire seemed to die away before that little knowing smile, speaking fearsome truth at the hidden center of the world:

**"**_The Spirits are the only Immortal Forces which live forever. All else is mortal; loses momentum, and perishes._ And your momentum has already ran out daughter.**"**


End file.
